


Liberate Me From Thine Chains

by OoOMagnoliaOoO



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: BUT ALSO HAPPY, But Poe Is Extra Not Nice, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Finding Out The Truth Can Really Hurt, It's Lemon Ya'll!, Non-Explicit Rape/Non-Con, Not Quite Dark, Not Quite Light Either, Not Really Dialogue Based, Renperor, Reylo Baby, Semi-Terrorism, Sorry Not Sorry, Sort Of, Sort Of Ben Solo Redemption But With A Twist, Unreliable Narrator, brief slavery, dark and angsty, long chapters, no one is nice, un-beta'd
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-08 20:15:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 51,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15251211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OoOMagnoliaOoO/pseuds/OoOMagnoliaOoO
Summary: “Peace is a lie - there is only passionThrough passion, I gain strengthThrough strength, I gain powerThrough power, I gain victoryThrough victory, my chains are broken."- The code of the Sith"Ben Solo’s life has been a seemingly endless string of doors closing in his face. His wayward father closing the door as he leaves for yet another adventure. His mother running from her familiar obligations to dictate a senate which does nothing but further the destruction of peace. His uncle, secretive and elusive, closing the door on his apprentice. And worst of all, Rey realizes, the woman who he thought to be his saving light closing the door of the Millenium Falcon the second he makes a mistake."Or: In which Rey finds her way back to him, one season at a time.





	1. Enslaved [Summer]

**Author's Note:**

> _Completely un-beta’d because I am - and most likely always will be - a trash can, so everything that comes from my brain is basically garbage anyway so why bother making it pretty ^^_
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> _Also, expect long chapters (Easily 10.000+ words), ominous bible verses (just because), and heavy angst (Because fuck it, basically). This story is not for the faint of heart, people. This contains, amongst other things, dubious morality, mentions of non-con, abuse, and other gray matters (I.e: everything is neither dark nor light). Consider yourselves warned!_
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> Updates every three days, so it should be finished by the 20th of July at the latest **_[provided life doesn't come at me with a lubed up broom-stick right up main-street :D]_**

 

**_Luke 8:29_ **

**_“For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.”_ **

 

      Ben Solo’s life has been a seemingly endless string of doors closing in his face. His wayward father closing the door as he leaves for yet another adventure. His mother running from her familiar obligations to dictate a senate which does nothing but further the destruction of peace. His uncle, secretive and elusive, closing the door on his apprentice. And worst of all, Rey realizes, the woman who he thought to be his saving light closing the door of the _Millenium Falcon_ the second he makes a mistake.

 

      She’s been blind to his needs - to his visions - just so that she could present hers as the truth. To whom she doesn’t know. Maybe Leia, who patiently waits for the Scavenger-turned Rebel-turned Jedi to finally bring her only son back from the darkness. But Rey sees now that he doesn’t need saving. Ben Solo is exactly where he needs to be. He’s neither dark, nor light, but somewhere in between.

 

      The first signs of peace comes from the palm of his hand. He offers her the galaxy, but trust has never been her strong suit, so she turns him away. The second is far more subtle. She realizes when drinking her morning tea that he knew all along about the _Falcon_ being in orbit of Crait. He knew that she - or at the very least Chewbacca - would return for the rebels. That in turns begs the question whether or not he actually intended the _Falcon_ to go down when he ordered the First Order to shoot at it with everything they got. Either way the outcome is the same: Rey and Chewie loading every last living member of the Resistance onto the tiny Corellian YT freighter that had once been his father’s. The third is so glaringly obvious that she almost misses it. She doesn’t believe that it’s peace he’s asking for, when really it is. It’s a quiet _“Please.”_ whispered in the dead of the night; voice dry, brittle, and raspy, like he’s been screaming for hours.

 

      But the anger she’s feeling blinds her to the fact that he’s actually trying to heal. His chains have finally been broken. Both of his masters lie dead, his father killed by his own hand, and his oppressors finally obliterated. And yet still he doesn’t return. There’s nothing left for him here; because no one has ever given him a reason to come back. With all those closed doors and broken promises, she realizes that he probably doesn’t think he’s welcomed back.

 

      Finn and the rest of the rebels are inclined to agree. To them inviting Ben Solo back home is like dragging a sharp dagger against their own throats. They make him out to be a monster, so he is one. Everything that happens after Crait is just as they envisioned it.

 

      The First Order declares themselves the victors, with the Resistance only a small blip of their radars. The first thing to go is freedom of speech. Anyone daring to speak out against the New Empire either finds themselves incarcerated or dead. It does nothing to bolster their public image, and Rey quickly finds that people around the base have long since expected the outcome. No one is surprised, but anger runs rampant through the base.

 

      The next thing that they eradicate is freedom of association. Anyone even closely related to the Resistance in any way gets their heads taken away for their trouble. Anyone seen _speaking_ to a Republic sympathiser ends up missing. Again: the expected outcome.

 

      When Rey hears that he’s put a bounty on his own mother’s head, she’s not even surprised anymore. It takes her a long time to finally let go of that anger. Because she sees Kylo Ren - _no,_ Ben Solo - in a completely new light. Not a man grasping for power and absolution, but rather a broken boy trying to open the doors that has long since been closed on him. But burning the bridges rather than mending them seems counter-productive. Leia agrees, but doesn’t speak more on the subject.

 

      In fact she barely speaks at all anymore. Two weeks after the battle on Crait Leia’s usual hopeful demeanor turns sour - and any talks of peace goes straight out the window. Then there’s only talk of war, extremism, and terror. Everything they can do to hurt the First Order, Leia suggests it first. And of course Poe Dameron plays along; rallying the troops to strike down true on their enemy. Rey had grown tired of the fighting, even back then. Two months after Crait, the Resistance is no longer the embodiment of freedom and hope. They’re terrorists; bombing First Order hospitals, training camps filled with innocent children, and major food-distribution centers just to get a rise out of the passive emperor. But Ren doesn’t retaliate, nor does he engage. It’s chaos and mayhem all over again. Another three months pass when they hear of General Hux’s untimely passing by Ren’s doing. Poe smiles. Rey doesn’t.

 

      And then her twenty-first birthday comes and goes, and things truly take a turn for the worst. It’s subtle at first - just a small circle in the water. But it creates a ripple-effect that echoes through the galaxy. Leia dies, and nothing can quench the thirst for vengeance within the Resistance. It’s nobody’s fault really, but blame is quickly placed on the First Order. All Rey feels is empty and sad, but not for the woman Leia was in the end, but for the woman she was when it all began. The woman who embraced her after learning of Han’s death. The woman who encouraged Rey to learn from her hermit brother. The woman who gave her hope and inspired courage within her young soul.

 

      The funeral goes as every funeral typically goes. The eulogy is lovely, the flowers neatly arranged around the transparent casket, and every word spoken with sadness and loss. And then a true declaration of war. The council, what little people remain from the original Resistance, appoints Poe Dameron as their next General. Finn cheers the hardest and loudest of them all. Rey just wants to vomit. If there’s one thing one should never give a man filled with that much ambition and hate; it’s power. And yet that’s exactly what he has now. Power over the Resistance.

 

      They went from being political adversaries, to rebels, to fighters, and then to full-blown terrorists. And still Kylo Ren does nothing from his castle. He waits, calculating and cunning for their next mistake. But Ren ends up making the mistake instead. He trusts that they’ll leave him be for the time being; considering the recent loss. Instead Poe amasses a force of a hundred fighters and bombs yet another hospital. This one filled with Stormtroopers who were either injured in the line of duty or sent for reconditioning. It almost looks like Finn wants to argue, but the democracy the Resistance - and the Republic - has always stood for is now nothing more than dust in the wind. So he stays silent; hoping that someone else will pick up the torch and carry it onwards. No one does.

 

      Rey has lost all hope, both in the Resistance and in the war they’re needlessly fighting. Ben comes to her that night, in her sleep, begging for mercy. But she gives no quarter; mercilessly driving her double-edged saber into his still beating heart. It’s only when she flies out of her bed in a cold sweat that she realizes it had all been a nightmare. It’s not how she wants this to end. For all the uncertainty she feels, and all the damage he’s done, he doesn’t deserve that.

 

      Whether it’s a vision or not she can’t tell. Just that it had felt real. It scares her for months to come; driving a steady rift between her and her so-called friends. She knows now what they’re capable of. The laughter and glee around the base soon too comes to an end. After that day everything is spoken with determination and hate. And she loathes ever second of it. Still, she believes there to be good in every single one of them.

 

      Finn, who just wanted the power and strength to break his chains; Poe, who mourns the passing of the woman who was like a mother to him; Chewbacca, who’s forgotten more about war than any of them have ever learned; Rose, who’s sister was torn from life all too young; and Kaydel, who still advocates peace, prosperity, understanding, and compassion.

 

      Rey wants to believe that there’s still some of that in her as well, but the light inside her grows dim. She finally understands what is true, and what is not. Even good people do bad things in the name of righteousness. The light she’s been fighting to preserve, the ideals she wants to uphold, is nothing but a lie. The light doesn’t grant you holiness or salvation… it’s just an emptiness. Rey fears that’s what Luke was trying to tell her all along. That the light isn’t purely light, and that there needs to be a balance between the two Forces. Not that she’d listened of course. She’d walked up those many steps towards the cliff, and demanded him to teach her the ways of the Force. Rey had been deaf to his many lessons. Sometimes doing something can also mean doing nothing at all.

 

      So she remains passive, just like Kylo Ren. Her voice is more often than not unused for days, and her thoughts and fears remain inside her head. Sometimes she swears she’s seeing ghosts. A little green creature; eyes filled with disappointment. He always leaves as quickly as he appears. One time she screams for guidance and forgiveness, but she receives none. It’s like he can’t even hear her, even though she knows he can. Sometimes he turns around to face her after she begs him not to leave. But he always goes.

 

      Sometimes it’s Han. The smile on his face is genuine, but clouded with sadness and grief. For his friends, his wife, or his wayward son she can’t tell. All she knows is that he never seems happy. Not truly.

 

      So she starts speaking up again; using the voice and passion that’s remained dormant for too long. The only response she ever gets is snares, anger, and leering eyes that follow her with distaste. Even Kaydel’s given up trying. It doesn’t discourage her though. Rey can’t give up. If she does, the whole galaxy will enter into a war who’s destructive force has never been seen before.

 

      Finn remains distant and aloof, choosing to follow rather than lead. Poe grows more ambitious, taking greater risks, and foolishly forgets the value of human life. The lowest blow comes when he knowingly leaves every last man of the supply-mission to their own devices. It’s like he doesn’t even care what happens to all those souls. Afterwards he has to gall to be upset, but not about the lives they lost, but rather about the supplies that will never reach their depots. That time, Rey does hurl. Hunched over the toilet she empties the last contents of her stomach and swears to make Poe’s life a living Hell from thereon out. She’ll stop at nothing to see him dethroned, incarcerated, and executed for his crimes.

 

      But one fighter in an army big doesn’t make a whole lot of fuss. It’s little things at first; things that may seem childish. Stealing his datapad, misplacing his possessions, hiding all of his important notes, and so on. He grows more resentful and enraged; believing there to be a foe around every corner. His paranoia reaches an all-time high when he accuses a new recruit of being a spy for the First Order. A young boy, no older than fifteen who’s just lost his entire family to the enemy. He believes he’s reached safe haven, but he never again opens his eyes. Poe executes him in cold blood, without so much as an explanation or a trial. And all Rey sees is red. Blood, anger, fear, and resentment.

 

      She takes her saber in one hand, strikes into the middle of the port-floor, and creates lighting from her very fingers. It crackles and bristles into every corner of the docking station, and for the first time in months Poe knows what it’s like to be afraid. She, like him, doesn’t offer an explanation. She just bursts out of the depot with her head held high and her righteous anger burning in every fibre of her being. They don’t speak of it again; even though she knows he wants her dead for the little stunt she pulled.

 

      Her days get filled with mind-dulling work; as a form of punishment, she supposes. Inconsequential repairs on droids that aren’t even broken, fuel-tanks that need cleaning out, and so much more. Everything small, spiteful, and even dangerous work gets thrown her way. Some of the times she barely escapes with her life; like the time he asked her to check out the landing gear of his X-wing and “accidentally” lowered the wheels onto her. Had she not had the Force with her, Rey would have surely been dead by now.

 

      She tries to convince others to turn against him, but that only blows up in her face. Instead of inspiring mutiny, she walks straight into a trap; one that even she can’t seem to get out of. He’s lenient; giving her a month in the brig. She takes it with stride, counting the days until she’s finally free again. At times she even tries to re-open the bond between her and Ben that she so foolishly closed, but she’s met with a virtual brick-wall. It’s completely impenetrable, and with every try it gets more solid until finally every effort is fruitless. Ben doesn’t want to speak with her anymore. He’s given her every chance he had. But how was she to know that this would happen? How was she to know that every friend she ever made would turn against her? How was she to know that the Resistance, whom she believed to be good with every cell in her body, would turn out to be so wrong.

 

      She does the only sensible thing she can think of: she cries a lot. There are days when she even misses Jakku. The ceaspot of sweat, tears, and blood. The endless, tiring days of scavenging that brings her no closer to an escape or fortune. Heck… she even misses Unkar Plutt and his leering looks that brings chills down her spine. At least back then she’d been free. She could have left with one of the many smuggling ships going in and out of orbit, but her foolish little heart had clung onto the idea and vision of a family that would never come again. Rey wishes for a different outcome; one where she’s said yes to him from the very start. Even before Snoke’s death.

 

      Back on _Starkiller_ base, where he’d offered her a solution, tutelage, and perhaps even friendship. Then a disturbing thought pops into her head; one that she clings onto with the last strains of sanity: _“I should have kissed him when I had the chance.”_ All she really wants right now is his arms around her, telling her that she’s safe, loved, and wanted. Not thrown away like garbage on a desert planet, or cast aside by the men and women she’s sworn allegiance to. Ben was her destiny all along, but she’d been too blind to see it.

 

      So when the door finally opens again on the thirtieth day of her imprisonment - she’d scratched every single one into the wall with her ragged nails until the tips of her fingers bled - she’s more determined than ever to return to his side; hoping that it isn’t too late. It’s Chewie that finally comes for her; bringing her back into the light that she’s only seen through the cracks of the door up until now. Rey’s forgotten what sunlight feels like on her skin, or how the air smells cool and crisp rather than damp and moldy, or how birds chirping sounds like to her ears.

 

      The old wookie gives a hearty chuckle at the absolutely ridiculous little dance she does in the inner courtyard of the base; where flowers bloom and the grass is greener than ever. It’s then that she makes another fatal mistake. She tells him of her plan to leave; to defect from the Resistance. At first the wookie is filled with understanding, but the moment she lets it slip that she’s not going back to Jakku, but rather straight into Ben Solo’s awaiting arms, he turns on her. His growls and shouts can be heard all across the base. To people like Finn, who doesn’t understand Shirywook, it all sounds like gibberish, but Poe has long since learned every growl and dialect.

 

      And back into the hole she goes. This time, there will be no pardon. She tries to run, but she doesn’t get far. Rose, with her trusty stun-gun, aims straight for her chest. Rey wakes up hours later with her gums bleeding her her arms hanging by her side; completely useless and numb.

 

      Apparently her trial is set for later that same week. At least Poe gave her that much. A chance to explain herself and out the wrongs. But it will be anything but fair. Right now he’s probably up there, in the mess-hall, spouting lies to the troops where he stands from his pedestal. Of how the scavenger-turned Jedi has turned against them, and how she needs to be put down before more damage can be done.

 

      In the end they’ve all become what Rey hates the most: tyrants and oppressors; seeking to drag the galaxy deeper into the darkness rather than rebuild it. The smartest move - knowing how they would react - would have been to steal a ship in the middle of the night and quietly slip away. But hindsight is twenty-twenty, and plans rarely work in her favor. She’s learned that long ago. All those lonely nights on Jakku where she finally made up her mind about leaving, only to the next day be dragged back into the endless dunes of the desert.

 

      One time it had been a simple flu. Rey vowed that she’d only put off leaving until she was well enough to travel again. She’s been nine that time.

 

      Another it had been Unkar Plutt arranging a so-called “scavenging hunt”. Fifty portions to whoever could find the hidden “treasure” in the badlands. Of course, Rey knew the dangers of venturing into the sinking-fields, but she relented anyway. They all looked for weeks to come. Sadly, it had all been a trick. A culling, to herd out the weakest scavengers so only the strong and cunning would remain. Why he’d done it became apparent a year later. The rations had been running low, and rather than cause an uproar, he’d dangled a fictional prize over their heads - one he knew they wouldn’t be able to resist - in hopes that the problem would solve itself. She’d been eleven back then.

 

      Years later she thought of leaving was on her nineteenth birthday, when she knew that her parents would no longer be able to recognize her. They wouldn’t be able to call on her either. Her name had changed; taken from an old pilot’s helmet she’d found in the desert whilst scavenging. Even if they did come back - the seed of doubt already planted within her; growing strong - they wouldn’t know what she looked like or what to call her to catch her attention from afar. She hadn’t changed the style of her hair, nor the shade of her clothes, in hopes that they would come back and instantly know it was her by just looking at her exterior. But it would never be enough.

 

      And then fate decided to intervene by sending her BB-8 that day, and later on Finn. Everything else that happened after that had been destiny, but she’d chosen not to follow it. And when Han and Chewie had intercepted them aboard the _Falcon,_ they’d once again steered Rey in a different direction.

 

      She finally understands the vision the saber had shown her fully. It wasn’t trying to warn her of Kylo Ren, it was showing her the way _to_ him. Oh, how she regrets every moment that lead her here.

 

      The first day is the hardest to bear. She knows her fate, but she can’t do a thing to stop it. It’s then she starts seeing ghosts again. Leia, sitting on the edge of a fountain; eyes glossed over with tears, shame, and regret. When the princess turns to face the desert rat, she instantly looks away; like she can’t stand to see what the young woman has become.

 

      She sees Luke, his sneer and contempt clear as day on his sunken, gray face. Like he can’t stand the sight of her, he too shies away from her pleading eyes. Rey cries harder than she has before.

 

      And then she sees someone she least of all expects. It’s not someone she knows; just an old man. But she almost shouts with glee when he doesn’t turn away. Instead, his gaze is weary, but understanding; kind, but firm; loving, but detached, all at the same time. Rey doesn’t know what to make of him.

 

      “H-hello?” She croaks out; her voice hoarse and throat dry. She coughs loudly. “Hello?” Rey repeats, hoping for an answer. Just as he opens his mouth to speak, another beats him to the punch; and he evaporates like a mirage in the desert.

 

 _“Shut up in there, scavenger whore!”_ Comes the rebuke from the cell-guard sitting just outside the four-inches thick steel door. His voice is muffled, but rough; like grated steel.

 

      She almost wants to scream something back, but her vocal-cords betray her. No matter… it’s not like he would answer her anyway. He probably thinks the worst of her. That’s fine by Rey. She doesn’t need his verbal abuse right now. In fact, she can’t even stand the sound of his voice.

 

      The only one she wants to hear is Ben. But he’s lightyears away, refusing to even acknowledge that she exists. It’s harder than she thought; letting go of something she’s never really had. But then she realizes that it’s probably for the best anyway. He wouldn’t accept her back, even if she begged at his feet. No-one from the First Order would allow it anyway. To them, she’s the girl who killed their beloved Supreme Leader Snoke. Oh, how wrong they are.

 

      It was Ben that had driven the saber through Snoke that day, not Rey. But he’d say anything to save his own hide, she suspects; so it doesn’t really matter in the end.

 

      In the end all she has left is herself. So that’s who she’ll fight for; now and always. When she finally does get out of this wretched cell, the first thing she’ll do is find out the truth about her parents. The _full_ truth; not just the bits and pieces Ben had hurled at her in anger.

 

      Then, depending on the outcome, she’d either reunite with them, or cut her losses and walk away. If that’s the case, she’ll find work somewhere; somewhere where neither the First Order nor the Resistance knows where to find her. Rey’s a skilled fighter, and mechanic. If nothing else she could fly port to port, and find herself in a new place every day. She’s always wanted to see the galaxy with her own eyes. Now she finally has a chance.

 

      She’ll change her appearance, of course. There’s no point in putting herself in danger because of vanity. She could dye her hair blonde, or black, or virtually any color. She could cover herself in body-ink as to be practically unrecognizable. She could join a gang, or become the leader of a syndicate; depending on her mood she supposes.

 

      Hell… she could even get a new identity. On Jakku the price-tag on an identity-card had been too costly, but she could really make a name for herself. A new one; one that isn’t known by foe nor friend. She’s once heard Han Solo mutter the name Qi’ra in his sleep. Maybe Rey will adopt it; change her entire demeanor and become a recluse living life with only one goal in mind: to become as invisible as possible.

 

      Each day she considers it she grows more giddy with anticipation. She sees several chances to escape, but they’re all obviously a set-up by Poe to force her out of her passiveness and into action. One time the guard left the door unlocked, but several minutes later she hears a sigh coming from the end of the corridor. That’s strike one. The second opportunity is when a riot seemingly breaks out upstairs completely out of nowhere; once again with her cell being unlocked. Rey doesn’t take that chance either, knowing that someone is waiting to arrest her as she makes it to the docking-bay. The far more tempting opportunity arises when Poe himself comes to visit her - really just to goad on his victory and superior mind - and he teases her by leaving the door wide open. She just turns around in her bunk and goes back to sleep.

 

      Then one day the chances stop coming and the day of her trial draws closer. Rey realizes that it has to be today, or at the latest the morning of the trial. If not she’ll be dead and buried before she can see another sunrise. Her mind starts working into overdrive as preparations become more serious. She knows that they’re keeping her possessions in a locked drawer in the guard’s office two doors over. She’ll have to clear the way and take them back before she makes a break for it. Amongst them are the sacred Jedi texts that she desperately wants to preserve, Anakin Skywalker’s broken lightsaber, and her own saber-staff that she’d constructed months prior.

 

      After reclaiming what is hers she’ll need to steal a ship. She can’t take the _Falcon,_ it’s too risky. The ship itself is too recognizable, not to mention on every most-wanted list in the entire galaxy. It’ll have to be a small, but fast, transport freighter made for moving small troops onto the battlefield. Those are always stocked with life-support, necessities, as well as a navigation-droid she’s confident she’ll be able to hack without any resistance.

 

      Next step is a destination; somewhere to lay low for a while. Jakku is out of the question, even if one tends to run for home when one is being chased. That’s the first place they’ll look for her. It’s a place she knows well; like the back of her hand. Sadly, she suspects she’s not welcomed there either way. Unkar Plutt probably saw to that the second she flew off with the _Falcon_. Even if she managed - by a major miracle - to find peace there, he’ll never trade her scrap for portions again. Going back there would mean starvation and death.

 

      For obvious reasons Ahch-to, the Illenium system, Hoth, Endor, Dantooine, and a planet called Birren are out of the question. The first because of its obvious connection to Luke Skywalker and the fact that the Resistance knows its location. The Illenium system, Hoth, Endor, and Dantooine have all had Rebel bases on them at some point or have been affiliated with the Republic; which makes it a real possibility that Poe will lead the Resistance to either one in the close future should their current base on Cantonia be discovered. Rey doesn’t want to risk a run-in with them if she were to escape. She’s not certain she’ll be able to pull off an escape a second time. And Birren because of a little tale Leia told her months before her death. About how the colony world of Birren had fallen onto the shoulders of the last living heir of Alderaan. Seeing as how Leia is dead, and Ben is her natural born heir, the seat as High King of Birren is now his. Even if he doesn’t want to admit it, or ever claims it, it’s too great of a risk.

 

      All First Order systems are out of question as well. Sadly that includes many of the most prominent spaceports; the ones that rake in the most income. She could in theory live a secluded and shielded life there with a stolen or bought identity, but why take the risk?

 

      There are many systems that have yet to declare for neither side, which makes them ideal for remaining undetected on the lam. She could hyperdrive her way over to Takodana and ask Maz for help, but she really doesn’t want to put the old lady in danger like that; no matter the boon it might grant Rey. If it comes down to it, and she really has no other choice, Takodana is at the very least a safe place to land. Who knows, she might even pull a Finn and ask for employment with one of the many passing smuggling ships. She never considered herself an outlaw, but the situation has forced her hand. It’s either that or death, and Rey really wants to live.

 

      If not for herself then for the promise of answers.

 

      It takes no more than six hours to plan her escape-route down to a fine tooth. Everything has been carefully thought out; every route mapped; every finite detail studied and committed to memory. She can tell the guards apart just by listening to their footsteps. Hardy walks quietly and calculating, while M’qire stomps around like an angry bantha. All that she’d learned the first time around, which finally comes in handy.

 

      Every problem has been put underneath a microscope and studied until she’s confident she’s found a solution. The rest she’ll just have to improvise as she goes. Rey will pick the lock with a specialized instrument she’s been tinkering on for the past couple of days, and then she’ll wait until shift-end. That’s when she’s granted a few minutes of undisturbed, and unguarded, peace. When Hardy finally leaves to change with M’qire, she’ll make a break for it. The reason she didn’t wait until it was the other way around is because she can hear the latter much better than the former. Sadly Rey will only get one shot at this. Should she fail, she won’t get another chance. It’s now or never.

 

      When Hardy finally gets off the creaking chair outside her cell she doesn’t waste a single second getting ready. She’ll hide behind the corner two doors down for M’qire to pass her so she can slip past him unnoticed and gather her things in peace. If he decides, for some reason, to peer into the food-slot of her cell-door she’s thought of a solution for that too. Rumpling up a few blankets and placing them against the wall will work; so long as he doesn’t actually enter the cell and turns on the lights. If that’s the case it will only take the rapid-response team thirty seconds to arrive at the scene and sound the alarm. If that happens, she has less than a minute before the entire base goes on lock-down and she becomes the most hunted woman in the galaxy.

 

      Hopefully it won’t come to that.

 

      And thankfully it doesn’t.

 

      She makes it past M’qire by the skin of her teeth, only _just_ escaping his peripheral by a millisecond as she holds her breath. She sees him shrug, walk away towards her cell, and disappear within the shadows of the dungeon. Rey still holds her breath as she tiptoes the last forty feet to the guard’s office. She knows from experience that they always keep the belongings of the occupant of cell fourteen in drawer eight. She doesn’t know why, but she surmises that it must be to counteract an inmate escaping with their possessions. It’s a dumb thing then that during her rotation of dreadful tasks, she’d been placed as a prison-guard herself.

 

      The books, Anakin’s lightsaber, her bag of clothes, and her own saber-staff are all there, just as she predicted. At least that part is out of the way. Rey finally allows herself to exhale a breath of relief, but only for a moment. She still has a lot of hard hoops to jump through.

 

      She narrowly misses running into Finn as he goes down the steps, probably to go see her in her cell, and panics slightly. If he notices she’s gone, he might signal the guard. If he’s still as loyal to her as she thinks he is, he’ll let it slide and delay the report. Either way, he has to tell Poe; otherwise his life will be on the line too.

 

      Rey doesn’t dally as she dashes up the many stairs that leads directly to air-vent forty-five; the only one that’s shared with the docking-bay. Should need arise, she could easily remain undetected in there for at least a few hours. Rey is careful when she opens the interior vent; just to make sure no-one hears the clicking of metal against each other. The nifty, nimble little scavenger she is crawls carefully on her belly as fast, but as silent, as she possibly can. It doesn’t take long to reach the docks; just as the final chime of the lunch-bell rings. The bay will be empty for the next forty minutes, save for one Rey of Jakku that’s escaping completely unnoticed.

 

      She cunningly lays and waits until the last repair-man lays down their wrench and makes a break for it. The almost twenty feet drop would have surely broken her legs had she not had the Force to guide her. She lands as soft as a loth-cat; rolling once to deflect the force of her landing into a forward motion instead.

 

      From this point onwards, the next minute is completely unplanned. She still doesn’t know which ships have been booted to allow for easy repairs, and which are fueled. Checking each one will take too much time, which means there’s a greater chance she’ll be spotted. Her luck has seemingly run out when she realizes that all the freighters have been moved to a different area. At first Rey fears that this might be another one of Poe’s ploys, but disregards that when she remembers the briefing from a few months ago. She can’t believe that she’d forgotten. They’ve just moved them over to the east bay, which poses a big problem for Rey. The timing of it all is off. There’s just no way that she can reach the east sector before the people in the area get back from their own lunch-break.

 

      So that just leaves the X- and A-wings.

 

      They’re not ideal for long space-travels, but in a pinch they’ll have to do. At least they’re fast, armed to the tooth, and agile. She’ll be able to escape, but she won’t make it very far. The nearest jump she can manage, taking into account the size of the fuel-tank, is probably Tatooine; if she’s lucky that is.

 

      Every other planet before that is either under opposition control, or in the hands of rebels. No matter… Rey’s gotten out of tougher situations before. Hopefully this one will work to her advantage. She dances through the shipyard with quiet, agile steps; careful to avoid any stray wrenches or tools that might make noise. Her eyes dart left, the forward, then left again. She almost smirks at the irony, or whatever one might call it. She’d say it’s retaliation, for sure.

 

      In a daring, foolish move she decides to forgo safety in the face of giving Poe one last middle-finger. She jumps into his personal X-wing and boots up the starting sequence. She’s almost halfway through by the time she spots a familiar patch of fur lurking up behind her.

 

      “You can’t stop me, Chewie.” She bristles with defiance; never taking her eyes of the instrument board. He growls with sadness in his voice.

 

 _“I know, cub. I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry. I didn’t know that Poe would do what he did.”_ Rey almost wants to forgive him… _almost_.

 

      Instead she snorts. “Yeah? How’d you think this was gonna go, huh? He’s been acting like a power-high megalomaniac for two _years_ now.” Her fingers dance around the many buttons and levers; finally finding the one she’s looking for. The fuel-reserve meter glows bright, indicating that it’s at full capacity.

 

 _“When you see Ben, would you give him a message for me?”_ Chewie asks with great uncertainty.

 

      Rey shakes her head. “I’m not going to Ben. That ship has sailed.” She kick-starts the engines. It whirrs softly; humming contently. Her gaze finally meets Chewbacca’s brown, weary, tear-filled eyes. “Do me a favor: don’t try to find me. If you do, I won’t hesitate to kill you, and everyone else in my way. Do we understand each other?”

 

      Chewie grabs ahold of the ledge of her small cabin; refusing to let go. _“Please don’t do this, Rey. We can work this out. We’ll get Poe to change his mind. Finn will be beside himself with-”_

 

      She cuts him off with a rough shove to his huge, meaty claw. “Don’t you _ever_ talk to me about Poe Dameron again. He can burn in Hell for all I care. And Finn chose his side years ago. They all did when they refused to listen. I won’t be a part of this anymore. I signed up for peace and fighting for what’s right… not terrorism and murder.” Her final words before closing the latch are words of anger, but no less true. They’d abandoned her long ago… now it was her time to break away.

 

      Rey engages the hyperdrive before she’s even properly left the docking-bay. That’s the last time she sees Chewbacca the Wookie alive.

 

* * *

 

      Her escape had been so smooth, and the two friends she still had left so loyal, that Poe didn’t learn of her break-out for an entire day-cycle. At least that’s what she thinks, considering the bounty wasn’t on her head until the very next night. By then she’d been long gone; lightyears away from Cantonica.

 

      She’d taken a quick detour to Jakku, despite promising herself she wouldn’t, just to give Unkar Plutt a ship in place for the one she’d stolen. And eye for an eye and all that. He hadn’t been happy to have apparently traded down, but it was enough to grant her twenty portions of veggie-meat and starch bread. Enough to live on several weeks if she was frugal. She could survive on one, maybe two, a day… it’s not like she hasn’t before.

 

      In return Rey had promised that she’d never show her face there ever again. Plutt had accepted, and apparently been so excited that he’d pointed her in the direction of a smuggler he knew would have space for her. For all his faults and flaws he’d come through for her in the end, which goes to show that one’s initial assessment of a person might not be the correct one.

 

      The smuggler, a woman by the name of Astlin Garu, also known as the “Queen of Libertalia” promised Rey a small bunk aboard the ship and a few meals; so long as the young woman did some repairs around the age-old freighter. Rey agrees without question. Anything to get off the surface of Jakku as fast as humanly possible.

 

      Unfortunately it takes another day for the ship to get repaired from the solar damage it had suffered upon entering the Jakku atmosphere, at which point Rey grows agitated. She glances over her shoulder constantly, grows paranoid at anything that moves, and snaps at anyone daring to talk to her. Eventually she’s pissed off enough people on the ship to be sent to the “time-out” zone, whatever that is.

 

      It turns out to be a small room in the very heart of the freighter with a large mirror that takes up the entirety of one wall, a small fresher through an opaque sliding-door, and a medium-sized desk with honest-to-God pen and paper. Rey’s unsure of whether or not people have actually used such instruments in a long time. They look ancient, probably from before the Clone-wars era. Not that she’ll use them, but it’s a curious little trinket nonetheless.

 

      She suspects that the reason for the mirror is to reflect upon one’s mistakes, and the bed for some time to think in one’s lonesome. Rey does neither. Instead she meditates; attunes herself to the Force and wills herself to just feel for any danger. All she feels is Astlin just outside the door. The older woman’s olive-shaded hand comes up to knock, but Rey’s already let out a soft “Come in” before her knuckles even makes contact with the sliders.

 

      The Captain of the ship enters the time-out zone with a puzzled expression, to say the least. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were a Jedi.”

 

      Rey smiles sadly, averting her eyes. She grips ahold of her ankles; holding them tightly as she sits cross-legged. “I’m no Jedi,” She says, and actually for once speaks the truth; albeit not the _whole_ truth. “I’m nobody, really.”

 

      The Queen chuckles heartily, taking a seat on the chair by the desk; removing her tricorner hat from her head, gripping it in her hands, and stares down at it with great intensity. “I can believe that.” Astlin admits. “I am, too. A nobody that is.”

 

      Rey swore to herself that she was done being drawn in by sob-stories, but somehow she feels like this doesn’t have quite the un-happy ending as the rest of them. Maybe this wise woman has some advice for a fugitive on the run. “That so?” She asks with aloof in an attempt to draw attention away from herself and her own story.

 

      “Yup.” The Captain says sullenly, finally meeting Rey’s gaze. “But I used to work for the Hutts’ back in the day. You know, after Jabba’s son took over after his father’s death.”

 

      “I don’t know that story.” Rey admits sheepishly; biting her lip between her teeth.

 

      “Oh?” The older woman exclaims, seemingly shocked at her confession. “I thought everyone had heard that tale by now. You probably weren’t even born when it happened, and I wasn’t there to see it for myself, but apparently Jabba enslaved Princess Leia of Alderaan.”

 

      This gets Rey’s attention instantly. “Wait, _the_ Leia? As in Leia Organa, the Resistance General?”

 

      “One and the same,” Astlin confirms. “I was just a girl back then, no more than nineteen summers old, but we all heard about it down at Toshi station. Apparently she went there to rescue Han Solo from the carbonite Darth Vader had frozen him inside. Only they both walked into a trap. Story goes that Luke Skywalker showed up and saved them all from Boba Fett and the rancor. If I’m not mistaken, Jabba met his end by Leia’s own hand. Some say it was brutal, others claim it was completely embellished.”

 

      “A-and,” Rey swallows, the lump in her throat appearing out of nowhere. “What do you believe?”

 

      “I believe she kicked her ass,” Astlin says boldly with a smirk on her face. “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” She claims; brushing some sand off her hat. “Even if her anger was slightly misplaced in the end.”

 

      This is the first outside opinion she’s heard in years. Ever since Poe took over, all outside communication had been brought down to virtually nil; neither Rey nor Finn privy to even the tiniest bit of information. All she knows about the galaxy now is what Poe had told her. That and the Rebel broadcast channel on radio-station ninety-six were her only sources, but the opinions were always biased. But not Astlin. Something tells Rey that the woman in front of her is brutally honest; a trait to be celebrated rather than condemned.

 

      She gathers the courage, and finally asks. “What do you mean her anger was misplaced?”

 

      The queen chuckles. “Dear child, you don’t really want an old woman’s opinion now, do you?”

 

      “Actually, it would be nice to hear what someone else thinks. I’ve been alone with nothing but my own thoughts for a long time.” If Astlin notices the slip of Rey’s tongue, she’s kind enough not to comment on it. Instead she leans back, takes her chin between her forefinger and thumb, and gives off a thoughtful expression.

 

      “Truth be told, Leia and I used to be good friends way back when. Back when I went by a different name.” Just as Rey was about to ask, Astlin shook her head. “It’s not important, child. I’ve long since abandoned my names, my titles, and my family. Libertalia is what I have left.”

 

      “The ship?” Rey asks.

 

      Astlin shakes her head. “A pirate organization. But don’t worry; we only go after the rich and powerful.”

 

      “Any chance you know Maz Kanata?” Rey asks, vaguely remembering the tale Han told her about Maz being the pirate queen.

 

      That earns her a laugh from Astlin. “Maz and I go way back. Used to be rivals, too, before a cut in both of our profits saw an end to that. We figured if we couldn’t beat each other that we might as well join forces, so to speak.”

 

      “Are you like her?” Rey presses on.

 

      “I am a pirate, aye.”

 

      Rey bites her lip shyly. “No, I meant are you like her. Force sensitive, I mean?”

 

      Astlin shakes her head while leaning back into the chair. “Nah. I never got the gift. Heard that Maz has it. And Leia too before she died, as well as that entire side of the family. Even her crazy-ass son has it.”

 

      “Ben?” Rey blurts out without thinking.

 

      That gets Astlin suspicious. “How do you know Kylo Ren’s real name, child?”

 

      There’s a long, awkward silence before Rey finally breaks down and tells Astlin everything. About her life before, Han Solo, Finn, the droid, Takodana, Kylo Ren and _Starkiller base_ and how she’d wielded the saber that split his face in half, about the Resistance, Leia’s passing, and Poe’s slow decline into insanity.

 

      At the end of the long talk, Rey is in tears. Astlin sits down by her bed, strokes her back in languid circles, and tells her that it’ll all be alright. They don’t speak much for the rest of the journey.

 

      Rey’s more than content just strolling along the ship and trying to remain as invisible as possible. Truthfully she doesn’t speak more than three words to the crew over the next week or so they drift through space. She helps maintain the ship, plays some _Solitary_ with a _real_ deck of cards that Astlin hands her, and reads up on the holonet that had been banned after Poe’s ascension to the Resistance throne.

 

      Mostly she scrolls through the official First Order newsfeed and their manifesto. She’s genuinely intrigued with what she finds. It seems that even with all his darkness, Kylo Ren - Ben - still manages to do much good. He’s taken the first steps towards bringing the galaxy into a new era of peace and prosperity it seems.

 

      True, the First Order has still done many things wrong, but it seems that not everything Poe told the troops is the truth. Free speech was never banned, freedom of association was only slightly tweaked, and Ben’s even abolished the Stormtrooper program. The hospital the Resistance had bombed months prior weren’t even for re-inauguration purposes. The First Order was setting them free. There were no reconditioning facilities left, as they were lead to believe by their tyrannical overlord Poe Dameron himself. In fact the only crime committed had been at the hands of the Rebel allegiance.

 

      The few Stormtroopers that _chose_ to remain with the program had been completely reformed. Now they were encourage to show their humanity, and enlisting was as optional as it goes. They weren’t even called Stormtroopers anymore. Now they are known as peacekeepers, working to maintain order. No longer a militia, but rather a form of police; whatever that meant. If such a thing as a police ever existed on Jakku, Rey sure never met one.

 

      The more she reads about the First Order, and the good it’s doing to the galaxy, the more she finds herself missing the two steady arms belonging to her perfect counterpart. Oh, how she misses him. Leia had been wrong to believe her son to be gone… she just didn’t get to see what a wonderful man he turned into.

 

      And that just upsets Rey more. Ben took over after Snoke well over two years ago. If this has been going on for more than two years, then how could she not see what he's done for humanity? How could she have stayed blind to her son’s accomplishments? Maybe she simply didn’t know? Rey disregards that thesis when she finds the earliest signs of his kindness dating back to twenty-two months prior. She must have known then. It’s all over the holonet. Poe wasn’t in power back then, and Leia was still the General.

 

      Come to think of it, Rey had been blind too. She hadn’t even noticed the benevolent picture it had painted of Kylo Ren, and how true it had all been. Rey had only seen what she wanted to see; the tyrannical slander written about him over the Republic’s network. It seems that no-one from the old Republic was even willing to give Ben a chance, simply because he’d followed Snoke. But this had nothing to do with Snoke. These ideals Ben pursuits are entirely his own. And yet people can not see that.  

 

      So in the end she doesn’t blame Leia for not seeing the goodness in Ben. She only saw what she wanted to see; blinding herself to another’s point of view. And the media certainly hadn’t helped in that regard.

 

      That gets her thinking: maybe it isn’t too late to return to Ben? But how to ask Astlin to drop her off at the Castle on Coruscant? She’d probably think the little scavenger rat had turned mad, and perhaps she has. But… there’s a willingness, to do better. It’s apparent by his actions that he’s changed deeply. Perhaps it had been at Crait. Maybe it was all for her, and she was too blinded by her hate to open her mind to him. After all, it had been she who had shut down the bond.

 

      Maybe trying to breach his mind was seen as a form of threat, rather than the metaphorical olive-branch that it was. She opens her mind once more; leaning back into the soft bedding of her bunk, and simply reaches out. The brick-wall is still solid against the front of her consciousness, so she pushes harder, and harder, and harder, until finally- _there_ \- she can feel a small crack forming. She beats herself bloody and raw against the brick of his shields until one by one the cracks begin to show. Rey doesn’t surrender, even when she feels the tickle of blood run down her face. She needs to keep trying, even if it’s the last thing she ever does. She needs to succeed!

 

      “Rey!” Her mind is all of a sudden her own, and she’s snapped out of her reverie and back into reality. Astlin stands, leaning over her, shaking her shoulders roughly. “Wake up!”

 

      “W-what happened?” She asks, her voice too raw to function above a whisper.

 

      “You scared half of us to death with your screaming, that’s what!” The captain accuses with a hint of worry in her tone. “And you’re bleeding! Poor little one. It was just a nightmare.” She coos softly, and for a moment Rey wants to laugh… _badly_. Because it’s all just so absurd.

 

      Astlin is old enough to be her grandmother, and yet she’s every bit the motherly figure that Rey always dreamed of having. This woman is good, through and through. Her past actions, however crooked they may have been, doesn’t matter. To Rey, this woman is like a mother. So it just slips out, over the tip of her tongue, automatically. “Mama?” She whispers softly, barely fighting back the tears.

 

      “Oh, Rey.” Astlin sits down on the edge of the little-one’s bunk, and suddenly Rey is four again; getting her hair stroked by her mother’s nimble fingers. “I’m so sorry, little one.”

 

      She knows why the queen is apologizing. She’s sorry that she _isn’t_ Rey’s mother, because with the gleam in her eyes Rey can tell that she really, _really,_ wants to be. But even Rey realizes the mistake as soon as the words make it out of her mouth. And she’s left even more empty than when she set foot on the vessel that first day.

 

      She doesn’t stay long after that. With a promise that she’s always welcomed back onto the _Ravager,_ Astlin sends her off with a warm hug and enough credits to last her through the week at least. Rey gives the woman one last heartfelt embrace, and heads off towards her new adventures.

 

      The first stop is Chinook station on planet Bespin. She’d heard grand tales of the planet, but mostly about the spaceport and Cloud City. From what Astlin had told her it’s run by the Calrissian family, with Lando as the figurehead. Apparently Lando, Han, and Leia had been good friends back in the day, when they were all Generals within the Resistance. At the first mention of the former Rebel Allegiance, Rey’s heart sinks a little. She vows to steer clear of the place, knowing full well that Lando might have some sort of treaty in place with Poe.

 

      It’s best not to linger, she tells herself as she steps off the ramp of the _Ravager,_ and takes a few uncertain steps towards the inner areas of the port. Astlin had pointed her in the direction of some mechanics who asked little questions, but paid well on a week to week basis. There wasn’t even a need for a fake identity, seeing as how they never actually signed any contracts. So long as there were shuttles needing to be repaired docking in the bays, there was work.

 

      She spoke to a Ugnaught by the name of Kursk, who’s as unpleasant as they come, but he promises her good pay so Rey doesn’t mind his harsh insults, or his sharp tone. So long as credits keep falling into her hands at the end of the week, Rey couldn’t care less.

 

      The work is tiring, and the shifts are long, so she falls into a bunk each night feeling the ache down to her very bones. The other workers keep to themselves as well, much to her joy. The less they know about her, the better. It occurs to her that that’s probably exactly their reasoning as well. After all, no one gets to Chinook station clean, or so goes the popular saying. Rey decides to ignore it and keep her head down.

 

      But when a red flag appears, she’s all too quick to bolt. There’s mentions amongst the barracks that Lando Calrissian himself is planning to visit the port that same day and Rey can no longer stay as she fears that she might end up on his radar. Which is ridiculous of course, but she’s seen her own bounty. Forty-thousand credits, dead or alive. Even if he doesn’t need the money, he might feel like he owes the Resistance for old time’s sake. And finding out the price on her head in and of itself just makes her even more furious. When she’d still been permitted back at the council meetings, Poe had informed the higher-ups that there simply wasn’t more money to waste. Their pockets were all but empty, save for a few funds left by Leia Organa; credits that automatically would have transferred to Ben had the Resistance not hacked the bank right in the knick of time.

 

      Those credits sure as Hell didn’t amass to forty-thousand! If anything it was a measly twenty, most that had been spent on ships and upgrades long ago. So where the Hell did Poe manage to scrounge up that many credits!? And why was he using it solely on paying her bounty? No, this wasn’t because of her defection; not even the First Order could pay that much to get back an able fighter. This was personal; that’s all there is to it, she surmises.

 

 _Dead or Alive_ . That’s the line written directly below her picture. Not _Capture and Return._ In fact, the bounty card had said nothing about wanting her back. Which means she had been right all along. Poe never intended on giving her a fair trial. In fact he’s probably soiling himself with fear with what she might say on the holonet. But that’s a fatal mistake. She’d never be so careless as to post anything on any forum of any kind. Not even the deep-web; hidden away from the moderators. That’s the fastest way to divulge one’s location, Rey’s learned. Astlin told her to always keep her datapad near, but _never_ to under any circumstances post anything unless she wants to be found.

 

      Thankfully she’ll never have to. Astlin had given Rey her personal call-code before they parted. If she’s ever in trouble, she knows that the Queen of Libertalia will come quickly to her aid. But Rey doesn’t use it yet. She needs to show the galaxy, and show Astlin, that she can manage fine on her own. She doesn’t need the support, and she sure as Hell won’t ask for it unless absolutely necessary.

 

      Rey hitches the first ride out of Chinook, once again offering up free repairs for meal and board. The Twi’lek running the show, a man she doesn’t even bother learning the name of, promises her safe passage to any planet of her choosing; so long as it’s on the way to their destination. Rey instantly asks for Takodana, hoping that Maz might have a steadier solution. If not, it’s Tatooine for her.

 

      Another desert planet where she might feel safe and welcomed, far away from anyone that might know her. If she’s lucky, the moisture farm kept by Luke’s uncle before his death might be her safest bet. Unless someone already bought the land, that is, in which case Toshi station might do. Leia had told her many times of Ben’s namesake; the Jedi that saved them from Darth Vader. She even divulged that Obi-wan - Ben back then - had been Vader’s mentor, back when the latter still went by Anakin Skywalker. The rest of his tragic backstory has long since been forgotten, not just by her, but by everyone.

 

      All that she took away from that story was that old Ben had lived in seclusion for the next twenty years after the events that took place on a planet touched by molten fire. That’s how Leia always described it. Never by its name, but always describing the heat and darkness. She’d been there once, when she’d been pregnant with Ben. All she spoke about had been how she’d never return.

 

      Either way, Rey knew that Tatooine might be safe from both the New Empire, and the Resistance if she moved far enough into the desert. Depending on how crooked she was willing to become, she might even be able to trick the people there into handing her things rather than work for them. Rey’s no thief, but she _is_ a survivor. And she’ll do just about anything to survive; even if it means turning to a life of crime at this point.

 

      She’s in luck, though. It doesn’t take more than a day to reach Maz’s castle on Takodana; newly reconstructed and back to its former glory. The massive stone pillars and statues tell no tales of ever having been broken, and the castle looks exactly as she remembers it. The Twi’lek bids her goodbye, but otherwise says nothing. She sends him off with a quick adieu, and then carefully stalks up the steps towards the front gate.

 

      Unlike last time Maz doesn’t shout a name upon her arrival like she’d done with Han. With the hood covering her face, she’s unsure if the old woman even knows that it’s her. But of course, she does. It’s Maz Kanata. The old Pirate queen knows everything.

 

      Rey takes a seat in the most secluded corner she can find and pulls the hood further down her face to hide her newly dyed, blonde hair. Even her eyes shine with a different color, thanks to the cloaking device. Instead of a soft swivel of forest and honey-colored sap, they’re now a piercing blue. She’s completely unrecognizable.

 

      But her Force signature is still the same. The old, short woman approaches with hurried steps; carrying a tray with a drink in soft pink hue. It’s impressive how she manages to make her way over to Rey from across the bar without spilling a single drop. Most impressive, Rey muses with a small smile. Even though she’s not completely certain of Maz’s loyalties at the moment, she knows that this is still her safest bet.

 

      The woman places the drink in front of her newly arrived guest and takes a seat in one of the low chairs across from Rey. “Hello, dear.” She reaches out; taking her small orange palm into Rey’s much bigger, pale ones. “I heard what happened. Are you alright, child?”

 

      A small nod joustles her hood enough to reveal a single strand of honey-colored hair; which she’s quick to whisk back into the single bun at the back of her head. “I’m much better now that I’m free.”

 

      “That’s good to hear.” Her gaze turns hardened and furious. “After I heard what happened to you I threw those lowlives off my planet. Can’t have those scum in here, muddling up my business with their foul stench. I can’t believe Leia would allow it to go that far.”

 

      “We were all blind, Maz. We didn’t know what was happening until it was too late. Poe just went out of his mind with lust for power. It’s all he ever wanted.” Rey laments; clasping her hood closer together.

 

      “Not always, child.” Maz confesses. “There was once a time when Poe Dameron was the finest of us. Now I fear he’s fallen too deep into the dark to save.”

 

      “Has anyone come here looking for me?” Rey asks; all of a sudden paranoid and panicked again.

 

      But the old, orange humanoid woman waves it off with her hand. “Not for a few weeks. They know not to come here unless they want to follow your path to freedom.” She smiles kindly with her eyes blown bigger with the huge lenses. “I’ve helped quite a few of them out.”

 

      Rey swallows back the lump in her throat and asks. “Were Chewie and Finn amongst them?”

 

      Maz shakes her head; averting her eyes filled with shame. “I’m so sorry, dear child. They’re long since gone. Chewie escaped shortly after you did. He crash-landed out back. He came in only briefly to told me what happened and then he vanished into thin air. Your friend Finn came only two days after.”

 

      “Please, Maz.” Rey pleads. “Tell me what happened to him. He’s still my friend.”

 

      The pirate queen shakes her head once more. “The First Order picked him up just as he landed. They picked up the signal from his tracker straight away.”

 

      And that gets Rey curious. “Tracker?”

 

      “You didn’t know?” She asks with surprise brimming her voice. “All Stormtroopers have tracking chips embedded into them when they arrive at the training facilities. It’s how the First Order managed to pick up the ones that escape.”

 

      “So you’re telling me that Kylo Ren had the location of the Resistance all along, but he chose to do nothing?”

 

      Maz shrugs, tilting her head side to side. “It’s more complicated than that, dear. It’s only triggered by proximity, so unless he’s closeby there’s really no way of tracking him across the galaxy.” Rey nods. “But he was here.”

 

      “Finn?”

 

      The old woman gives a knowing smile. “No, child. Not just him.”

 

      “Ben.” Rey gasps under her breath. “Ben was here? On Takodana?”

 

      “He sure was,” Maz chuckles deeply. “Made a show out of it, too. Arresting that poor man right in front of the entire bar. Finn hadn’t taken but a step inside before Kylo rose from his chair and had his peacekeepers slap some cuffs on him. Poor thing was probably scared something bad was going to happen to him.”

 

      “It didn’t?” Rey asks, this time it’s her turn to be surprised.

 

      “As far as I know, Finn was brought before the small council of the New Empire and is awaiting a fair trial.”

 

      “For desertion?”

 

      Maz shakes her head again. “No. For terrorism. From what my sources tells me he’ll walk away without so much as a scratch as long as he cooperates. I think he’s considering making a deal with the Emperor himself.”

 

      “So Ben might spare him? Is that what you’re saying?”

 

      “Child, he doesn’t have it in him to kill your poor friend. He sees the eyes of a man that wants to run, just as I did back then. The worst that could happen is that Finn spends some time in a correctional facility. I’ve heard that even those have gone up in standards during the past year or so. More humane. More focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment. Of course, the more violent criminals are still kept tightly under lock and bar; far away from the other inmates. But your friend should be just fine.”

 

      Rey bites her lip, as she always does before a difficult question, and then she folds. “Maz.” The woman nods. “Did Ben say anything to you? About me?”

 

      “A great deal, in fact.” Maz admits. “He wouldn’t shut up about you. Why?”

 

 _So he still cares._ Rey smiles for the first time in almost a month. “Nothing.” She shakes her head. “Can you sneak me into the Coruscant castle?”

 

      “Aye, child.” Maz says. “But I would advise against it. There’s far too much that can go wrong. You’d risk your life for nothing. He’s rarely ever there.”

 

      “If not there, then where? Aboard his fleet?”

 

      “No. A planet called Mustafar. Supposedly an evil place. It’s where Obi-wan fought-”

 

      “Anakin Skywalker. Before he became Vader.” She finishes for the old woman. “So that’s what it's called.” She mutters incoherently under her breath. “Then I need to get there.”

 

      “You don’t want to go there, child. There’s no security measure that hasn’t been taken surrounding that place.” She pauses; studying the young desert rat with calculating eyes. “Do you… do you wish to change him?” She asks. “Turn him back towards the light.”

 

      “No. Ben’s right where he needs to be. He’s neither solely dark, nor light. He’s the perfect balance. I just wish I’d seen it sooner.” Rey admits with shame written all over her face.

 

      “I’ve seen those eyes before. They’re the eyes of someone filled with regret and shame. You feel like you’ve hurt the man you love deeply.” Maz smiles. “I can understand that pain, dear Rey. I see it burning your soul like an all-consuming flame. Don’t let it burn you to ash, Child.”

 

      She wants to argue that Ben isn’t the man she loves, but that’s moot. Whether or not she loves him doesn’t matter. He’s destiny, he’s home, and he’s safety. By his side is where she should have been all along. Maybe this isn’t a story of hardship, fear, and running. Maybe it’s a tale of finding her way back; of finally setting right a horrible wrong. There’s no door that will be closed on him, ever again.

 

      “So be it.” Maz finally caves. “I will have someone trusted bring you to him in the morning. But you have to stay here until then. There’s a room high up in the tower. No one will see you there.”

 

      She thanks the pirate queen and goes to sleep that night in the finest linens she’s ever felt against her skin. But morning doesn’t come on Takodana for Rey. For in the middle of the night, she’s stolen away by dark, twisted creatures. It’ll take a little time yet to find her way back home…

 

* * *

 

 

      Floating in limbo is like being lost at sea. Not that she’s been in either, except for that time briefly on Luke’s island. The one morning when she’d stepped naked into the ocean; water trickling her bare thighs and further up her body. She’d bared it all just to step into the cold waters.

 

      She can’t remember who taught it to her, but it’s a line she’ll never forget: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life, freely”. She doesn’t understand it of course… not fully. But it’s stuck with her for as long as she can remember. Probably before she was even able to comprehend the simplest of words.

 

      Those were the only words of consolation she had sometimes; when her throat was so dry and parched that she could scarcely speak. Unkar Plutt had been more than unkind - he had been cruel. He’d taken away her everything and put her into chains, even if he broke them in the end.

 

      This time she isn’t as lucky.

 

      She recalls waking up tasting the blood in her mouth, and feeling the splitting pain in her skull. Whatever they’d drugged her with still hadn’t completely worn off. She had no concept of time, and no light to guide her. The empty void of space is all she can feel from outside the steel hull. Best she can tell she’s in a freighter being shipped to the Lord knows where.

      Wherever she ends up, she’ll no longer be free. If it’s the Resistance, she’ll be dead before she can even bother considering what other fate might await her. If it’s not, then she shudders at the mere thought. She’d seen pleasure slaves come and go through Niima Outpost; all sold to the highest bidder for scrap, portions, or credits.

 

      Rey remembers the looks on their faces all too well. It’s shame, disdain, and fear. She only sees the same girl once, but she can still recall all of their faces. There’s never a second chance. The ones that run end up dead, and the ones that are sold anew are done so without the need of a slave-handler. Sometimes it’s to settle a debt, other times they’re used as bribes. Rey recalls one poor girl very vividly.

 

      She was only thirteen back then, all too familiar with catching unwanted attention from men as her body has just started developing, when a girl comes running through the outpost; draped in the thinnest of sheets. At first Rey considers taking it from her before the blood soaks through; it’s not like the girl will need it when the slavers catch up with her anyway. She’ll be dead by then. But Rey can still have her due, if only she’s fast.

 

      She takes chase; hurrying behind the frightened woman running for dear life. She doesn’t get very far. A blaster-bolt misses Rey and lands square in the chest of the young woman. She falls unto the sand; swallowing heaps as she gasps for air. Blood starts trickling down the corners of her mouth, and soaks the beige linens red. So much for comfort, Rey thinks angrily.

 

      But when her eyes finds the young woman’s, Rey can’t help feeling guilt spread through her chest. “Please,” The slave chokes out. “Please help me, little one.”

 

      But Rey knows that she too will be dead if she does. The slavers won’t take kindly to that. They’ll beat her and force her to take the woman’s place. She doesn’t know much about what happens after the auctions, but she’s seen enough late at night when the men have their spirits to know that it won’t bode well for her. She’s stayed out of the slavers tents by the grace of Unkar. She won’t do anything to merit his anger upon her.

 

      So she shakes her head and watches as the slavers finally catch up to their escaped slave. “Girl!” One of them hollers at her. “You better step back!”

 

      Rey does as she’s told, choosing to never speak of the incident again. In fact she hasn’t thought about it for many years; not since she was still living on Jakku. Not spared a single thought… up until now. When she herself is one of those women, soon to be sold against her will into a life of chains.

 

      She’ll won't escape this right away, she realizes. Even if she does, she’ll be even more wanted than she already is. It’s been tough enough to run from both the Resistance, and up until recently, the First Order. She can’t have another one breathing down her neck.

 

      The headache persists; feeling like someone is swinging a bat against her skull. It’s horrible, but at least it’s better than what is about to happen. Rey tries to let the Force flow freely through her, but even that turns out to be a bigger challenge than is possible at the moment. Luke had explained briefly about something called midichlorians and how they were responsible for a person’s Force sensitivity. Whatever the people who kidnapped her had used, it was blocking all access to the Force. She can’t even tell how many of them there are. If there are only a few, chances are that she can fight her way through them; even while drugged.

 

      Since there are no windows, and no clock in the extremely dark room she’s in - which she realizes must be a cell - she can’t tell how much time has passed when she finally sees someone else’s face again. For all Rey knows several days could have passed by. It certainly feels like it. The hunger-pains that she’s known all through her life up until joining the Resistance are back. It’s a deep seeded ache that sets root in her stomach and travels through her chest and into her throat. Not to mention the thirst. It’s like she’s eaten nothing but sand for days and days on end.

 

      The gruff man, possibly in his late thirties or maybe early forties, doesn’t stand around on ceremony. And he certainly isn’t gentle. He grabs ahold of her bare arm roughly and pulls her upwards until she’s standing on her feet again.

 

      “Where are we going?” She yelps in discomfort and panic. “Please, answer me!” He leads her down a darkened corridor with minimal lighting. It’s the first she’s seen since they took her. Her keeper refuses to answer at first, but she persists. She can see the shackles of anger rising up just by glancing at his profile. A long crooked nose and yellowing teeth that bare at her whenever she dares speak. “Please answer me!” She more demands than asks.

 

      When he grows tired of her constant begging, the back of his hand lands roughly on her cheek. “Be quiet, girl, or that won’t be the worst of it!” Rey does what she’s told. Her head already feels like it’s spinning… she doesn’t need more of it.

 

      She finds out a moment later where they’re headed. A large, white room with shower-heads attached to the walls. A communal fresher that’s already filled with naked women in all sizes, shapes, and colors. From a green Twi’lek to a pale humanoid. It’s not visible to the naked eyes with water from the fresher running down their faces, but Rey can tell that they’re crying. Every single one of them. And soon it’s her turn.

 

      Her keeper is exceptionally rough as he tears her sand-garb off her body with great force. They tear at the seams and breaks open in his hands. Never in her life has she felt more violated than she does now. He moves on to her underpants as well as her chest bindings and rips those too. Rey desperately wants to fight back, but she can see the blood pooling on the floor; probably from one of the other girls who had the same idea. So she stays still, shoots him an angry look, and doesn’t argue.

 

      He pushes her with more force than necessary underneath the stream of water; so hard in fact that Rey loses her balance and goes tumbling to the floor. One of the other men drags her up again; inspecting her face for damage.

 

      “What the Hell are you doing!” Comes a rough voice from outside the door. His face appears a moment later. Judging by how the men tense at his sudden appearance, he must be the leader. He’s just as wide as he is tall, and even from where Rey is standing she can smell the rank odour of sweat and grime that’s accumulated over weeks. “Don’t damage the merchandise! You know how  hard damaged girls are to sell!”

 

      And how can they argue with that logic? Rey knows why. A slave with bruises is a slave that doesn’t comply with their master’s wishes. They don’t listen, are often prone to running away, and talking back. But there are still those who aren’t afraid to back down from a challenge, and Rey doesn’t want to end up with them. They’re often the most sadistic; those who like to beat their slaves and do other unspeakable things to them.

 

      The second time she met an escaped pleasure slave things had gone better. Rey had been fourteen - just a few short months after the first incident. Rey had been getting ready to go to sleep in her hammock after a long day of scavenging when she heard the loud pants and heavy steps against the soft sand that sinks beneath one’s feet. At first she’d been afraid that someone was robbing her, but it quickly became apparent that they were running.

 

      She’d stuck her head out of her AT-AT; trying to locate the source of the sound. And there! Not far from her home was a young woman, all but crawling across the dunes towards some sort of safety. Even in the darkness Rey could tell the heavy perspiration on her skin. She must have been running since early dawn.

 

      How far she’d run, Rey couldn’t tell. Just that she was exhausted enough to collapse thirty feet from the entrance of the AT-AT she’d called home for the past year This time she had the means to help. That days haul had brought her five portions; enough to last a few days for just herself, but with rationing she’d make due.

 

      Compassion is a deadly thing on Jakku. It gets one killed. But Rey couldn’t just leave her there for other scavengers, marauders, and creatures to find. If nothing else they’d leave a corpse in their wake that would soon attract critters.

 

      So at fourteen, she’d carried the woman twice her size into her home and lain her down on the floor. A thin blanket had been draped over her body and a small cup of recycled water placed by her makeshift bedding. It didn’t take long for her to regain consciousness.

 

      At first she’d been panicked, eyes darting wildly from item to item until finally landing on Rey. That was the first time in years she wasn’t alone. The woman, Lydia Rey learned, stayed with her for several cycles; every day fearing that her masters would find her and take her back to that horrible place. Rey assured her that people rarely came that far out into the desert, and definitively not at night when the sand-creatures were most active.

 

      A few desert rats were manageable. Coyotes were another thing entirely. To run into a pack of those could mean certain death for a small human female. So Rey knew never to venture far from her AT-AT between sunset and sunrise.

 

      Lydia offered her some sort of compensation, but mostly Rey was just happy to not be alone for the first time since her parents left. They waited for days for someone to roam past her home in search for the escaped slave, but no-one came. Either they believed her to be dead; swallowed up by the desert, or just too much of a nuisance to track down.

 

      By day six, Lydia was back to her full strength. With a heavy heart Rey had bid her new friend goodbye. She never saw her alive again. Word around the outpost was that she’d tried to hitch a ride with one of the smugglers and that they had sold her back into slavery. Ten days later, her corpse was hanging by a rope from one of the pillars right in the center of Niima outpost with the word _“Whore”_ carved into her thigh.

 

      And once again Rey feared slavery like the plague. No one gets out of it. Once a slave, always a slave the saying goes. Rey dearly hopes that this time it’s different. With _her_ she hopes the circumstances are different. And besides, she’s escaped once before. She can probably do it again.

 

      It takes a little over ten standard minutes to get all the slaves clean, during which one of the slavers gathers up their clothes and burns them in the incinerator. She fails to see her bag with the Jedi texts, as well as the two sabers, and breaths a breath of relief. They’re with Maz now. When Rey’s free, she’ll go collect them. Until then, she’ll have to make due with whatever makeshift weapon she can construct out of whatever she finds. She’s a scavenger, and a mechanic. Making things and fixing them is one of her many talents.

 

      Since their clothes are burned to ash the slavers provide each girl with new ones. If they can even be called clothes, that is. A metallic type of chest binder, as well as a small sheet to cover their nether regions but expose everything else. Rey wants to vomit. In all honesty, she’d rather go back to the Resistance and face her death than prance around in those.

 

      She considers maybe telling them about the bounty, but ultimately decides against it. She’s strong… she’ll survive whatever hardships come her way. If she’s lucky she’ll be sold to someone weak and feeble, perhaps even elderly. That way it’ll be easier to run.

 

      When they pass by the corridor again, headed towards a new area of the ship, Rey finally gets a sense of the time. One of the men guarding the large group of new slaves lets it slip that they’ve been onboard for a little over two days, but that still doesn’t tell Rey whether _she_ herself has been there for that long. Either way, it’s the time-frame she’s going to be working around from now on.

 

      Surely Maz will have realized by now that she’s gone. And then a terrifying thought strikes her mind. What if _Maz_ had been the one to sell her ot the slavers. Rey really hopes not. She can’t bear the thought that she’s been betrayed yet again.

 

      It takes at least another day of just sitting around and waiting for them to finally land on a populated planet. At this point Rey would kill for some sunlight. But she instantly regrets thinking that the second the light hits her eyes. They’ve been too accustomed to the darkness of the ship that just the tiniest ray of sunshine hurts.

 

      But she relents; lifting her hand to shield them. The slaver herds them like cattle towards a gathering of stark-white tents against the deserts yellow sand and quickly ushers them inside with blasters, to ensure their complete cooperation. There they stand in a long line waiting to be collared like mutts. It’s demeaning, and so, so wrong. But she agrees without a fight when it’s her time. The golden chain fits around her neck like it was custom-made, which makes her sick to her stomach.

 

      Come to think of it, there’s really not much in there to regurgitate except for some rations they’d fed her that morning. They do it intentionally; withhold food that is. The weaker and hungrier they are, the less strength they have, which means the less likely they are to run. But Rey’s cunning. She’ll lay and wait for her chance.

 

      She’s paraded around the small outpost for hours and hours on end; her bare feet aflame from the scorching sand. Potential buyers let their eyes, and sometimes hands, roam all over her body, all the way from her head down to her toes. Then they grab ahold of the man prancing her around like a bantha for sale, and ask the price.

 

      The slaver admits that she’s one of the pricier girls, but she’s most definitely worth it. _Lies,_ all of it. They’ve been in this business long enough to know that she’s a flight-risk. Even if it seems like she’s going along with all of this without protest, they know that she’s waiting for an opportunity.

 

      Most shy away from her, and Rey can understand why. Fifteen-thousand credits is a lot of money; even for men like them.

 

      This, the slaver explains, is what’s called a “pre-bidding” where all the buyers get to see the merchandise. If they like what they see, they’ll give the slaver a card which he’ll then turn over to the man holding the auction. He in turn will count the cards, and depending on the amount might even raise the price for the girl. If a man wants to purchase a girl before they even make it to the stage, then that costs extra. A _lot_ extra.

 

      She chooses to learn as much as possible about her current situation and asks many questions. The man prancing her around is, despite his occupation, actually pretty nice and answers almost each and every one. Rey doesn’t know whether or not she’s grateful towards him, but that hardly matter anyway.

 

      Soon enough it was time for her to take to the stage. The auctioneer tells them a bogus story about her upbringing on Yavin-4 and proceeds to spin a tall tale about all sorts of things Rey doesn’t bother listening to. At first the men in the crowd all seem very disinterested, until he mentioned that she’s never been touched by another man. At that point several hands are raised in the air; each offering more and more every turn.

 

      “Twenty-thousand!” A man in the back yells out. And thus there are no more bids.

 

      Rey doesn’t remember much from that day, just that she gets shipped away not an hour later on an expensive cruiser. The man that bought her, Jyiren he tells her, brings her along into the back. She vows not to cry, but breaks that promise almost instantly.

 

      She lies down on her back atop the mattress and lets her mind go blank…

 

**[END OF PART ONE]**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _**Why the Hell did you write 36 freaking pages of this crap?** _
> 
> *Shrugs* I was bored as Hell. And I have two days off from work. 
> 
> _**You do realize that this is going to take more than two days to wrap up, right?** _
> 
> *Nods* Yeah, but I’m willing to commit. 
> 
> _**Where have I heard that before? Oh, that’s right! Every other unfinished/unpublished story you’ve ever started.** _
> 
> That’s probably fair. But I will finish this one. Even if it takes a damn year TT^TT
> 
> _**… -.-’ You’re un-freaking-believable, you know that right?** _
> 
> Oh yeah ^^ I know. 
> 
> _***Inner-me-shaking-her-head* W.t.f Elle. What’s with the damn Fallout 3 quote?** _
> 
> I love Fallout 3, that’s why!
> 
> _**And what about that part at the end!** _
> 
> There’s a warning in the description! 
> 
> _***Inner bitch shaking her head harder*** _


	2. Chained [Autumn]

 

**Acts 22:29**

**_“Therefore those who were about to examine him immediately let go of him; and the commander also was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had put him in chains.”_ **

 

      “Oh, no, dear! The vase goes over in the corner!” Rey nods at the housekeeper, Mrs. Kriek, as she moves the vase over to the other table. The elderly lady had been her first confidant when she’d arrived at Jyiren’s mansion almost two months ago. Apart from that first night, when her body had ached for days afterwards, he’s been somewhat gentle with her. 

 

      In the beginning it had been hard, though. She’d cried after every time that he’d touched her. Every caress had felt like fire against her skin. Now she’s used to it. The tears have long since stopped falling, and she can honestly say that things have gotten easier. It’s far from good, but he’s never been violent. 

 

      “Kira?” The elderly woman approaches her. She nods in confirmation at her assumed name. She can’t bear for them to know her true identity. “Jyiren comes home tonight from his business trip. Do you have the lounge set up for him?” 

 

      It’s a well known fact in the household that the master always celebrates a successful endeavor with a bottle of his finest Corellian whiskey, and his failures with the far less expensive  _ Blue Tongue  _ from Tatooine. “That depends,” She says while arranging the flowers. “Did he win?” 

 

      Mrs. Kriek nods. “Aye. That he did, child.” 

 

      Rey moves towards the lounge in the back of the massive mansion. In the beginning it had been like a maze, with too many rooms to navigate and too many hallways to get lost in. Over time she learned, and now she knows it like the back of her hand. There are still rooms in which she’s not welcomed, but other than that the mansion is like an open book. The way the staircase creaks on the third step. And how the windows in Jyiren’s quarters are really hard to open at times. Or how the kitchen smells faintly of peppermint. She hasn’t been there long enough to explore the garden, but hopefully soon she’ll know it too. 

 

      Or she’ll be millions of lightyears away from here. She really hopes for the latter. 

 

      Her hands move automatically as she prepares the tumbler full of Corellian whiskey and a small platter of various cheeses and crackers. Mrs. Kriek will take care of the rest. The dinner served for tonight will be roasted duck with orange sauce and oven-baked potatoes with a side of salad that only grows during the colder months oddly enough. She hasn’t bothered learning what it’s called, just that he likes it a lot. 

 

      After she’s done in the lounge, Rey moves onto the dining hall. She places a fork on the left side of the plate, just how he likes it, and the knife on the right. The glass is placed directly in front of the plate with a napkin resting beside it. She doesn’t know exactly why he wants it this way, but the last time she messed it up he got really angry for some reason. Rey doesn’t fancy sleeping in the closet again. 

 

      Still, she’s been lucky for a slave being placed in his gentle care, but he can still be cruel. When at the bottom of the bottle he finds, his kindness disappears. That’s why Rey dreads his returns. Sometimes he can be gone for weeks at a time, flying from system to system as he makes his fortune grow. She can’t tell what he does exactly, but it pays well. That much is obvious. The house he lives in is without its equal. 

 

      She prepares it all for his return, only stopping to rest when mid-day rolls around steadily. She takes her meal on the patio with dear old Mrs. Kriek and afterwards the housekeeper even offers her a small pastry; the first in months. Truth be told, the old woman one of few solaces she finds in her situation. She takes care of Rey as though she’s her kin; her own flesh and blood. 

 

      When the master gets too rough, or spits angry words in her face, old Mrs. Kriek always comes to her defence. She’s been with the family since before the master was even born. She’s fed him from her breast herself, so he wouldn’t dare raise a hand against her. Rey has never even seen him raise his voice at the old woman. 

 

      So whenever she’s afraid, she hides behind her. The master isn’t cruel, Mrs. Kriek claims, he’s just lost and weary. The woman tells Rey the story of their master. Of how he was orphaned in his teens and how he had to build his life from the ground up after his father damn near ruined the family name. 

 

      The old woman smiles; making the corners of her eyes crinkle. “I remember when he was but a child. He would hide behind my skirts whenever his mother would yell at his father.” 

 

      “What for?” Rey asks. 

 

      “At times there was his drinking. Other times because of the women he kept on the side.” Her eyes harden and become serious. “The master’s father was a cruel man. Jyiren may not be the kindest man in the galaxy, but he’s never once laid a hand on you. The master wasn’t so lucky. His mother would beat him relentlessly.” 

 

      Rey may not understand it, and it certainly doesn’t excuse the things he’s done, but she can at the very least somewhat sympathise with him. But she can’t agree with Mrs. Kriek. What the old woman doesn’t see is how he threatens Rey.  _ “If you don’t cooperate, I will press this button-”  _ He’d said, holding it up for her to see.  _ “And you’ll lie dead on the floor within a second.”  _ That had been two nights after he’d bought her. After that she’d stopped fighting back. She can’t escape if she’s dead; and she knows that the threats are viable. 

 

      The collar on her neck, the slavers had told her in case she was getting any ideas, has a small explosive embedded within it. So she pretends to be compliant, while simultaneously planning her escape. The collar had been an unwelcomed addition into the equation, but one she’ll have to figure out how to work around.  

 

      Rey clears the table and puts the fine porcelain into the sink. After that she goes to her room and lays down for a quick nap. She dreams fields, green grass, and flowers - but most importantly: Ben. How she dreams of kissing his soft, pouty, full lips so hard that they both bleed. She wants to rest her head on his chest and forget that the last two years of their life ever happened. She wants to go back to that stupid throne-room and undo her mistakes. She should have said yes… instead she’d reached for the saber in his hands; believing that she was making the right choice. 

 

      How stupid and naive she’d been back then. 

 

      But another face pops into her dreams as well. One she hasn’t seen in a long time. He sits at the edge of a fountain with a book in his lap, reading each word carefully. He even has a smile on his face. 

 

      “Han?” She calls out as he lifts his head. He sees her, and the smile increases. 

 

      “Hey there, kid. How you doing?” He closes the book, making an ear at the top of the page to remember his place for later. 

 

      “I…” She sighs. “Not good. Honestly, I’m lost.” 

 

      He chuckles softly, but his eyes are sad and averted. “I know what that’s like. Need help finding your way back, huh?” 

 

      Rey shrugs; taking a seat next to him. “I don’t even know what that means. I know where I am, I just… I just lost my place in the world. I think I’m going insane. I kept seeing all these faces. They were so disappointed in me. Every one of them. Even you.” 

 

      He places a gentle hand over hers and squeezes reassuringly. “You’re not lost, kid. You’re exactly where you need to be. Just give it some time and all will become clear.” He lets go. 

 

      “I can’t believe it’s been almost three years since you died.” She utters hopelessly with tears in her eyes. “I miss you.” 

 

      His finger taps lightly underneath her chin. “Cheer up, squirt. You’ll see me again when the time's right.” 

 

      “Yeah?” She mutters. “And when will that be?” 

 

      He gives her a thoughtful expression. “I honestly have no clue. That’s up to you to decide. It can be tomorrow, or today, or fifty years from now. You know where I am. But I’d recommend against it. If you truly lose your way, then he will too.” 

 

      “Ben?” She asks. 

 

      Han nods. “Yes. He’s been looking for you.” 

 

      “If he’d bother to let down his walls he’ll know where to find me. Instead he’s playing this stupid game where he ignores me.” She huffs in exasperation; crossing her arms on her chest. 

 

      Han chuckles. “Yeah, Leia used to do that, too. It drove me crazy sometimes.” Then he’s quiet for a long time, just glancing out across the courtyard. “Have you ever considered that maybe he  _ can’t  _ let his walls down for you, rather than  _ won’t _ .” 

 

      And no, Rey can say that she honestly hasn’t considered that. She just figured he was being childish and ignored her on some sort of principle. But Han’s words make her doubt. What if he really is looking for her, and it’s she that’s impossible to find. The bond might be dead. Ever since Crait, where she closed the door on him. 

 

      Before she can ponder over it further, Han embraces her tightly and ruffles her hair affectionately. “Well, I’m afraid our time is up, kid. Just remember what I said. You’re right where you need to be.” 

 

      Rey wakes with a jerk; sitting up so quickly that her head starts spinning. She glances to the left, and then to the right. Then her eyes wander to the bedside table where she finds the clock. What felt like only minutes turns out to be hours, and the master is set to arrive at any time now, if he hasn’t already. Rey bolts out of bed, hurries over to the mirror and fixes herself. She smooths out her wild, still blonde hair with her brush, sprays some perfume on her neck, and lastly changes into an evening gown. 

 

      When she’s confident that Jyiren will approve, she saunters down the stairs and heads towards the lounge. She can hear people talking in hushed tones, but can’t make out the individual words. Mrs. Kriek is standing at the bottom of the stairs, tapping her foot in anger. 

 

      “There you are!” She exclaims with her hands thrown into the air. “It’s about time. The master’s been waiting for an hour!” 

 

      “Sorry.” Rey says sheepishly with reddened cheeks. “I fell asleep.” She explains. 

 

      Mrs. Kriek ushers her into the kitchen with a hard smack to her behind. “No excuses, Miss Kira. The master is not happy about this!” 

 

      “Yes, I know, Mrs. Kriek.” Rey sighs. After she’s confident that the woman has calmed down at least a little, she speaks. “I heard voices from the lounge. Does the master have company?” 

 

      Mrs. Kriek fetches two tea-cups and a kettle. “Aye. And an important one at that.” It’s the old woman’s turn to sigh. “I don’t think the master wants you in the lounge other than to serve his tea.” 

 

      “Understood.” Rey answers curtly. She knows how bad it is to disturb him when he has guests. She’s only done it once before, when a First Order supporter came to visit. She’d contemplated pulling him aside and asking him to get a message to the Emperor, but ultimately decided against it. Who knows what Jyiren would have done if he’d found out? She wasn’t willing to take the chance. 

 

      And besides… the low-level supporter probably had no way of getting such a sensitive message to Ben without being intercepted by either the Resistance or extremists within the First Order who wanted her dead. She understands why Ben told them all the scavenger scum had been the one to kill their precious Supreme Leader. If the truth had gotten out, surely he would have been executed on the spot for treason. She may not like it, but she understands. 

 

      There’s no malice; no anger that she feels for Ben. Right now she just wants to fall into his arms and lie there for the rest of eternity. Anger can wait until they’ve reunited. But first she needs a way out of Jyiren’s clutches. She knows that Mrs. Kriek would most likely discourage her and tell her to stay put, then explain that despite his flaws, he’s a good master. But to Rey it doesn’t matter who holds the whip, she refuses to follow and be a slave. This rare bout of compliance is just for show. Soon enough she’ll break free, make her way towards her destiny. Though she has no clue where he actually is. He could be anywhere in the galaxy at this point. 

 

      Not in the castle on Coruscant. That was apparently just for show. Mustafar… that’s where she needs to go. Over the months she’s been held captive here, she’s researched the planet, and the castle, to great extent. Built by Emperor Palpatine as a gift for Darth Vader’s loyalty way back when, it’s been passed down from parent to child since Vader’s time. Sadly not much in known about the castle itself. Just its background story. No-one knows how big it is, what the layout is like, or how many reside there. 

 

      All she really knows is that the landscape is touched by liquid fire steadily erupting from the ground. Not a single patch of grass, or pond of water. Almost like Jakku in a way. Rey would fit right in. She likes the heat. 

 

      She carries the tray towards the lounge just as the voices become clearer. A woman with a brisk tone, and Jyiren sounding like a mouse running from a cat. Squeeky and afraid, almost like he’s scared of her. When Rey enters, both of their heads turn. 

 

      Jyiren’s face is damp with perspiration; glistening against his dark skin. The woman… well… that’s another story entirely. Cool, calm, and leaned back against the cabriole like she owned it and everything surrounding her. 

 

      As Rey gets closer she spots the pastels of the dress the woman’s wearing; sparkling like stars in the light. Her piercing, green eyes and light freckles stand out starkly against her cream-colored skin. And her hair, red as a ruby, with her lips painted in the same shade. There’s no question in Rey’s mind: this woman is deadly. 

 

      The Lady, because Rey seriously doubts she’s anything but, looks at Rey with sheer surprise plastered on her face; followed by a small, gentle smile. Rey wasn’t aware that a deadly woman such as her could even look so sweet. Perhaps that’s the point. To lure unsuspecting prey into her trap with an alluring figure, swaying hips, and a coy smile. But Rey knows… she’s not a fool. She’s seen women like this all over Jakku. They called themselves “Ventresses”. She doesn’t know why, but the name had apparently been taken up by the sisterhood of assassins on Jakku long before any battle had ever been fought there. For some reason, the name itself had always struck fear within her. Almost like the name was cursed, and those who took it for themselves were doomed to live their life under the banner of bewitchment. 

 

      Rey quickly averts her eyes when the Lady stares at her. It’s not polite to issue a challenge. It’s better to just pretend like she’s not even here. “My, my.” The Lady exclaims. “What do we have here?” 

 

      Jyiren is quick to respond. “My slave, Kira.” 

 

      The Lady nods slowly with a calculating expression. “I see. And where, pray tell, did you find this rare jewel?” Rey places the cup in front of the master’s guest, and fills it with Darjeeling tea from Coruscant. 

 

      Her master sits up straight with pride. “Tatooine. Sold to me by the Hutts.” 

 

      So that’s who sold her, Rey finds herself thinking. It was always a question in the back of her mind, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that it didn’t matter. 

 

      The Lady once again nods, and lifts the tea-cup to her lips. She takes a small sip before placing it back upon the saucer. “Interesting.” She says cryptically; keeping all cards close to her chest so to speak. But Rey can’t help but feeling like she’s being recognized. Not as Kira, but as herself. 

 

      If this woman is a First Order extremist, then Rey needs to sleep with one eye open tonight. 

 

      She quickly throws Jyiren a glance to see if he’s giving her some subtle que to leave, but it seems that he’s too frozen in fear to even look her way. So she opens her mouth to ask: “Is there anything else you require, master?” 

 

      Finally he looks at her. He shakes his head frantically. “Not at the moment, Kira. Go ask Mrs. Kriek if she needs help with anything.” Rey bows respectfully, and moves away to leave the room. But before she can step outside, her master has taken ahold of her arm; holding it in a strong grip. 

 

      “And don’t disturb us again.” He says in a low, gravelly voice. Rey immediately nods and complies with his wishes. It’s not a battle she wishes to fight anyway. Right now she just wants to escape the suffocating feeling of the room. But it’s like time has frozen still, and she can’t seem to move. 

 

_       Most curious _ . She hears a voice in her head, but decides to ignore it. Her master nods towards the door, and Rey flees as quickly as she can. But the feeling of being watched doesn’t leave her for a long time. 

 

_       Most curious.  _

 

* * *

 ****

      Lightyears away, in another system, a man stands overlooking the landscape. It’s dead, and alive at the same time. Nothing grows here, and nothing lives outside the walls of his castle, but it’s always bustling with movement. 

 

      In his hand, a cup of blood-red wine lifted periodically to his lips as he sips carefully. His Knights were supposed to return hours ago with the new trade-deals he’s sent them out to negotiate. He stands, overlooking his small solace; his safe haven, his sanctum sanctorum with watchful eyes. 

 

      Not even the slightest change in the landscape escapes him; down to every small bubble of the volcanic substance. He’s probably been standing there for hours at this point, but his feet stubbornly refuses to move until his loyal followers are accounted for. They were supposed to arrive hours ago, but he admits to himself begrudgingly that these things take time. 

 

      After all, it’s not every day that the Emperor requires the help of every arms dealer in the galaxy. He needs those weapons to deal a final strike to the Resistance, once and for all. Now that he’s certain that his beloved has escaped their clutches. 

 

      For her, he’d mow down planets; graze them to the core if he has to, just to find her. For her, he’d burn down empires - even his own, just to hold her in his arms. For her, he’d destroy the galaxy and kill every last inhabitant, until they were the only two left, just to have her where she belongs. In his home, in his bed, and in his heart. 

 

      It had been quite by fate that he’d found out about her escape. He hadn’t intended on going back to Maz’s castle in search of Resistance defectors, but for some reason he’d ended up there anyway. Mere hours after Rey had been taken away. 

 

      Maz had been distraught; running around like a hen looking for her chick. When he’d finally calmed her down enough to speak, he’d wished he hadn’t. All he remembers are the words:  _ Slavers, taken, Rey, gone.  _

 

      He’d ignited his saber that day, and destroyed the room in which she’d rested. Maz had dutifully surrendered everything she found; down to the hairs left behind by the kidnappers, to Rey’s belongings. Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber had been amongst them, as well as Rey’s own saberstaff and ancient Jedi books which must have been taken from Luke’s temple. Ever the scavenger, he thought to himself. Of course she’d want to salvage the very thing the First Order fought to abolish. 

 

      He’d wasted no more time dabbling in the philosophy of it all. The only thing he knew for certain was that he needed to find her. So he started with the few clues he had. The hairs, it turned out, belonged to a man by the name of Crestor Enjie; a smuggler, small time arms-dealer, and slaver operating out of Bespin. 

 

      When he’d gone to the spaceport, Chinook, he’d been told the most interesting tale about a young woman who’d worked there, and had one day just vanished into thin air. The Ugnaught by the name of Kursk, and her former employer, told the Emperor about a girl who he scarcely recognized the description of. Thin as a blade of grass, with beautiful, flowing golden locks, and azure blue eyes that shone like the ocean after a storm. But there was no doubt in his mind when the Ugnaught told him about her mechanical skills, or the lilting accent she spoke in. This was Rey. Kursk informed the Emperor that she’d disappeared just a week prior to his arrival. The Emperor realized that it fits perfectly into the time-frame. She must have gone to Maz straight afterwards. When he’d asked the Ugnaught about what might have spooked her into leaving, he’d sheepishly admitted that a visit from Lando Calrissian had made her take flight. And he hadn’t seen or heard from her since. 

 

      The Emperor understood why. Lando Calrissian had been a General for the Resistance way back when. If Rey was already on the run from the Rebels, then running into one with strong connections to her enemy might spook her into leaving the relative safety of the port. His honorary uncle wasn’t a fool. Of course he still kept in touch with the Rebels. And the Emperor himself had seen the bounty the Resistance leader had put on her head. Even if Lando didn’t need the money - and Kylo seriously doubted that he did - he wouldn’t think twice about turning her in. If not for the ideals of the new Resistance, then for Leia Organa and Han Solo who’d been like family to him. It would have been misguided, seeing as how none of them remained to thank him for it. But few people outside of the Resistance knew what it was really like on the inside. Like a rotten core; ready to poison anything on the surface. 

 

      The traitor, or Finn as he insisted he be called, had fled the Resistance and their tight clutches just days after Rey herself had defected. When he’d been picked up at Maz’s castle, he’d struggled against their every move; almost harming others in the process. Everyone, including his Knights, had been shocked by Ren’s sudden leniency towards the Stormtrooper defector turned terrorist. But Kylo knew that if he didn’t show mercy towards the few friends Rey had left, then she would never return to his side. 

 

      Ren had thanked the Ugnaught for his cooperation, and turned heel towards the further edges of the port where Kursk had said Crestor Enjie might be hiding out. And lo and behold, leaning against one of the pillars smoking a pipe of tobacco, he stood. Ren didn’t waste any time igniting his saber and advancing towards his prey. Even without his mask, he was intimidating, but most importantly known. When Crestor saw him approach, he instantly knew what opponent he was facing.

 

      The interrogation had been long and brutal, but eventually the man had cracked. He’d admitted to stealing away the girl from the castle and selling her to a group of reavers, but as to her whereabouts he had no idea. He couldn’t even tell where they’d flown off to next. He realizes then that she’s changed hands many times to avoid being found. But he does have a name. Greshnik. Ren still remembers the absolute fear on Crestor’s face when he’d informed the man that he’d stolen away the future Empress of the galaxy. Kylo still smirks at the memory of his last expression; so genuine and terrified. 

 

      With this new information, and a new name, he loads up his Upsilon class shuttle with supplies and heads in search of Greshnik. His journey takes him to Tatooine, not far from the Hutts’ old hangout. Unfortunately, the slavers have long since packed up their tents and flown away. There’s no sign of a man named Greshnik, nor his band of marauders. Ren, in a furious bout of rage, plunges his saber deep into the sand, but without effect. It just sinks away, seemingly escaping the searing hot blade. 

 

      And so he returns to his home on Mustafar, empty-handed. With no solace in mind, and no Rey safely in his arms, he does the only logical thing he can think of. He trains to the brink of exhaustion every night. His Knights fear he may have lost his mind, but Ren is more focused and level-headed than ever. His sole purpose is finding the woman who’d stolen his  _ everything:  _ his family legacy, his mind, and his heart. Soon she would be his, and his alone. 

 

      He would take her to bed every night and worship her body, as though she were a shrine. He would take her places she’s never been before, and watch her face as it unraveled in complete and utter awe. He would share his life, his love, with her until his last breath. With her, he would create life. She would be the mother of his children, there is no doubt in his mind. The sun would rise and set with her. 

 

      But as the days pass into weeks, his hope grows more dim. His most rational thought is to follow the trail back to Tatooine and lay and wait until the slavers set up shop again, but his first Knight strongly recommends against it. These slavers are cunning. They move from place to place without any sort of warning or schedule. Unless someone has a direct way into the network, there’s just no telling where they might resurface next. 

 

      Just for sport he decides to put a bounty of Greshnik’s head anyway. That way he might still bring him in and force the information of Rey’s whereabouts out of his head; willing or not. Turns out that is just as much of a dead end as his first idea,  _ literally _ . Greshnik turns up dead not two days later in Coco town on Coruscant. Ren doesn’t bother learning the details. After all, dead men tell no tales. 

 

      He focuses his efforts on finding out how Rey got to and from all the places she’s been. It’s not a completely wasted effort. Ren manages to track down a woman whose name escapes him. It’s not like he bothered to learn it. She was a nobody. Just a woman working the corners of Chinook. All she could tell Ren was that the woman she’d come to know as Kira arrived with a ship of the finest quality. 

 

      His investigation leads him back to Takodana, and Maz, who admits to knowing the owner of the ship. Astlin Garu. Whoever the woman  _ used  _ to be, Ren can’t tell. Just that she’s strangely familiar. When Maz sets up a meeting between them, he finally finds another piece of the puzzle. She’d been picked up back on Jakku, where she must have returned to after escaping the Resistance. She hadn’t stayed aboard the surface for more than a day.  _ Good _ , Ren thinks. The less chance of her being rediscovered by her oppressors. 

 

      Astlin offers him a ride back to the Western reaches, which he accepts. It’s a chance to learn more about Rey and what state of mind she was in when Astlin and her crew picked her up. Turns out it’s not much help towards finding Rey, but it gives him some insight into the woman he’s come to love. Of how terrified she’d been; jumping at shadows around every corner. There’s an unfamiliar tug in his chest whenever Garu speaks of the woman she deeply admires and cares for. 

 

      “I would have kept her on for all eternity if she’d let me. She’s a good worker, and an even better person.” Astlin admits while sipping some whiskey from her crystal-glass. “Truth be told, I saw her as more of a daughter than anything else. I truly wish that I’d convinced her to stay.” Her eyes grow dim, wet, and sad. Yes, Ren knows that pain. The pain of losing a loved one. 

 

      He’d stayed silent through the entire journey after that. When they finally arrived on Jakku three days later, his optimism had waned. There was nothing there but sand as long as the eye could see. The few buildings that still stood were run-down and barely able to shield from the elements. But he supposes that people in their situation didn’t need much to make themselves at home. Rey, and everyone else on Jakku, were creatures of opportunity; and he means that in the best way possible. They can take something broken and ugly, and make it into something truly extraordinary. A home, a shelter, and a safe haven. 

 

      The first stop on their journey is Niima Outpost, where he learns Rey did most of her dealings in her younger years. The outpost was little more than a few tents raised around a scrap-dealer’s shop, but it was swarming with every kind of life. Humanoids, aliens, and everything in between could be found managing their stalls or bartering. Some played sabbac underneath a thick tarmac, while others basked in the sunlight. Whenever he’d thought of Jakku, he’d always considered it a backwater planet void of any kind of civilisation. Turns out his original assessment had been horribly backwards, and woefully ignorant. 

 

      With a stronger hand to guide them, this place might even become better than some of the core worlds. Yes… he can see it before him. Hotels, restaurants, museums, historical sites, shops, working law and order, and so much more. He makes a mental note to pass the ideas onto his council later on. One planet at a time, he will create peace and prosperity; even if it takes him a lifetime to do so. Starting with Jakku, he’ll transform the galaxy and bring it into a new era. 

 

      But first he needs information. 

 

      So he approaches a stall that he’s only heard tales of. Not two weeks after Crait he’d sent his agents to find out everything they could about Rey, the scavenger from Jakku. A name that kept appearing was Unkar Plutt, and his trading stall. The Knights had kept the place under strict surveillance for months, posing as scavengers the entire time. The one thing they could all agree on was the Crolute was a swindling cheap-skate with larceny running through his every vein. With a quick search into his mind they all came back with the same conclusion: he  _ desired  _ the little scavenger rat he’d taken in. And Ren had exploded in anger; mowing down every statue in his castle of Coruscant. He hadn’t been back since. 

 

      He stopped just in front of Plutt, taking in his grim appearance. He can understand why Rey disliked him. Everything about the Crolute screams sleez. “Unkar Plutt?” Ren calls out to catch his attention. 

 

      The Crolute turns to face the new arrival to Niima outpost. “Who’s asking?” 

 

      He doesn’t even know who Ren is. Good. It’s better that he doesn’t. Kylo raises his hand, waves two fingers in front of the other man’s face, and speaks in a low tone. “You will tell me everything you know about Rey.” 

 

      And the man sings, like an old Corellian lullaby, he spills every dirty deed and desire. At the end, Ren has a strong urge to kill him, but he refrains. No matter how much he disdains the man, the people of Niima outpost need him.  _ For now. _ Instead he inquires about her last known residence. 

 

      He’s lead out into the desert with Unkar, and stumbles upon an overturned AT-AT. If Ren hadn’t had Plutt to guide him, chances are he would have missed it. It doesn’t look like much, and it’s no wonder people have decided to turn a blind eye to it. The inside is so cramped that they both have to duck in order to not bang their head against the ceiling. 

 

      Kylo is disappointed with what he sees. There’s nothing left. The entire vicinity has been picked clean by other scavengers. But he does notice a small surveillance camera; probably put there by the Resistance that will alert them to any movement inside the AT-AT. He destroys it in an instant, hopefully before it has a chance to transmit. 

 

      With a sinking feeling in his gut they return to the outpost by nightfall. The trip hasn’t been a complete bust, though. Ren finds out that Rebel soldiers have been spotted at Niima outpost more and more frequently as of late. It’s like they, too, are following the trail of the woman that escaped them. 

 

      Astlin and Kylo lay and wait until finally, he spots a man that doesn’t belong. The boots certainly aren’t made for the warm climate of Jakku; more like the grassy fields of Naboo, his grandmother’s home planet. Other than that, he blends in perfectly with his desert garb and small staff that he’d probably found laying about.

 

      That night Ren knows just as much as the Resistance does. Absolutely nothing. They have bet on the wrong horse, it would seem. Rey hasn’t been back there since she was picked up by Astlin. It seems like she’s vanished into thin air. 

 

      That was almost a month ago. 

 

      And nothing has changed. 

 

      No one knows anything. He’s sure that those who do are too scared to come forward, but who they’re afraid of he doesn’t know. 

 

      The first Knight to arrive at the castle of Mustafar that night is Malen, his closest compatriot and friend. Malen has been with Kylo ever since he went by Ben Solo back at the Jedi academy. He was one of the few to escape with Ben that night as they fled right into Snoke’s awaiting grasp. And the first one to accept his ruling as Emperor of the galaxy. 

 

      He greets the Emperor like an old friend. “Kylo.” He says; engulfing him in a tight hug. “It’s good to see you.” 

 

      Ren smiles faintly. “And you as well, Malen. At ease.” 

 

      “Don’t mind if I do.” He says, and instantly hurries over to where Kylo keeps the fine bourbon. He then slumps into one of the chairs surrounding the conference table with a heavy grunt. “My mission was a success, in case you were wondering. That old codger agreed to sell us half of his stock for a fraction of his asking-price.” 

 

      It pleases Ren to know that someone knows how to do their job at least. “Good. What does that put us at?” He asks; spinning around to face his friend. 

 

      Malen scratches his stubbly chin. “Nine so far that have agreed to sell solely to us. Three others who have confirmed dealings with the Resistance.” 

 

      Ren’s expression turns sour. That’s still three too many who have their hands in two pots at the same time. “I see.” He says grimly. 

 

      “Ben.” Malen calls out in a rare show of nostalgia. “If you send me back out there tonight, it’ll be three less threats to worry about.” 

 

      Kylo shakes his head definitively. “No.” He says. “Not until the war is truly over. They’ll get what’s coming to them in due time.” 

 

      “Why are you even allowing it?” Malen asks in exasperation. “These people supply our enemies with military-grade weapons; weapons that cause a lot of damage! And we’re just letting them off the hook? We could strangle the Resistance’s entire supply of weaponry, but you’re choosing to do nothing! We could end the war with this, but you’re not doing it!” 

 

      Ben cocks a brow. “I sense a question.” 

 

      Malen sighs. “I guess I’m asking why.” 

 

      Ren smirks into the rim of his glass. He turns back to face the window, and continues studying the world outside. It’s almost peaceful today. “The honest truth is that I have a pathological need to know everything. If I  _ know  _ who’s supplying the rebels, then I can use that to my advantage later on. If we strangle their supply, then they’ll look for weaponry elsewhere. Perhaps even elusive syndicates, or traitors to our own government. This way I have all the power, even if you don’t understand it. With this, I know when and where the weapons are being shipped, who’s supplying them, the make and model, and how much. Because that’s all it is… a game. So you see, Malen, I’m not choosing to do nothing. I’m simply waiting my turn.” He takes another sip, waiting for the information to sink in. “When I’m certain that the war is  _ truly  _ over, and only then will I end those who have chosen to betray my regime.” 

 

      It seems that the message has been received, because the Knight doesn’t question his master’s decision anymore. He just sits back and patiently awaits the arrival of his peers. One by one they trickle in, each in close succession of the other. 

 

      When the next to last Knight takes a seat by the conference table, and an hour has passed, Kylo gives up hope that Helia Ren will appear tonight. She’s probably still holed up in Hanna City on Chandrila with Jyiren André. Kylo’s only met the arms-dealer once before, but Ren can say with absolute certainty that the man is a perverted schemer. If he wasn’t so confident in Helia’s abilities, he might even be worried for her safety. Now instead he finds himself worried about Jyiren.

 

      “Let’s begin the meeting.” Kylo says and takes a seat at the head of the table. Mei Ren raises his hand. “Yes?” 

 

      “Forgive me, master, but shouldn’t we wait for Helia? She should be here any moment?” The youngest one amongst them asks. 

 

      Kylo shakes his head. “We’ve waited long enough. She’ll catch up in due time, Mei.” Ren flips through the holopad quickly, skimming through only the most important facts. “Lin?” 

 

      “Yes, master?” 

 

      “Where are we on Master Zilon on Yavin-4? Still not budging?” 

 

      Lin scrunches up his face; making him look sheepish. “The old man is tougher than he looks. Willow and I barely made it out of there alive.” He’s quick to excuses, Kylo’s learned over the years. But if he feared that his wife Willow was in danger in some way, Kylo can understand the reason to extract her and abandon the mission. Still, the outcome is not what he’d hoped for. 

 

      He turns to Willow Ren for confirmation. She nods, but averts her eyes in shame. It’s true that Lin would do anything to ensure her safety; even disobey his master’s orders. Kylo fears that he’s been too lenient with the two, but he can’t bear to break up their team. They work best together. Even if Willow wasn’t with them at Luke’s temple, there’s still a bond between the Knights - new and old - that can’t be denied. He wouldn’t leave her behind more than he’d abandon hope for Rey. 

 

      So he too nods. “I understand. Malen will go in tomorrow and finish what you started. With a little luck the old man is haughty and ignorant. He probably won’t be expecting anyone to come for him so soon after you.” Now that that’s settled, he faces Miraak. “And what of Tatooine?” 

 

      “They’ve bent the knee as expected, master. Sauren of Toshi has handed over his entire supply with a promise of more to come. The next shipment should reach Coruscant within a fortnight.” 

 

      Kylo is brimming with pride. Even if Miraak was one of the lousiest students from the temple, and a slow learner, he’s come a long way. “Good. That’s one less thing to worry about. And what about-” 

 

      His sentence is cut short by Helia storming into the meeting room, dressed in the finest of gowns. It glitters like stars against the night-sky. No one can deny that she’s breathtakingly beautiful; some don’t even try. 

 

      Malen whistles loudly. “Well look at you. Aren’t you a dream.” 

 

      She smacks the back of his head as she passes him by. Kylo almost feels sorry for him. He himself has been on the receiving end of those smacks many times, mainly during their time under Snoke’s tutelage. Apart from himself, she’s the only Knight that could have taken down the former Supreme Leader. 

 

      Helia Ren is more than just a pretty face. She’s a deadly killing-machine. That much was apparent during their time with Luke. Smart, beautiful, cunning, and deadly. If Rey had never entered his life, it’s not a far stretch to imagine that Kylo and Helia would have become a thing. 

 

      He shakes the thought out of his head, and turns to face her with an annoyed expression. “You were supposed to arrive hours ago, Helia.” 

 

      She takes a seat to his right. “Apologies, master. I got held up by Hanna city guards.” 

 

      Kylo raises a brow in amusement. “And are these guards still with us?” 

 

      She mimics his amused expression. “Only in memory, master.” But the playful back and forth don’t last. Soon she turns serious, and her eyes hardened. “I have something you might want to see.” Helia places a holopad in front of him. 

 

      “What’s this?” He asks. 

 

      Helia presses a button, and the screen flares to life. Soon he finds himself wishing that she’d shown up earlier. There’s no mistaking it. The woman in the picture, though blonde and rail-thin, is Rey, just like the man at Chinook station had described her. 

 

      His eyes widened, and his breath quickens. Kylo looks her in the eye, and she smiles widely. “I found her, Ben. I found the scavenger.” 

 

      The other Knights all gather around their master to see the picture of the woman they’ve been looking for for months. She’s beautiful, Malen chimes in which earns him another smack to the head. But Ben doesn’t care about that. Every other sense except his sight is completely shut down. 

 

      All he knows is that he’s finally found his beloved. 

 

      Eventually though, the world goes on turning and time thaws from its frozen state. “Where?” Is all he manages to croak out. 

 

      She grins. “Jyiren’s mansion just outside of Hanna city. I wasn’t sure if it was her at first, even if she fits the description, but there’s no doubt in my mind any longer. That’s her, isn’t it?” 

 

      “Yes,” He whispers, unable to take his eyes off the picture. She looks so frail. So broken. And yet so strong. The collar around her neck makes him see red. “How did you know that it was her?” 

 

      “The Force doesn’t lie. I just suspected that she might be Force sensitive at first, but then I truly felt her power. She’s strong, stronger than most of us.” 

 

      “Yes.” Ben smiles. “She really is.” He lifts his head; looking Helia in the eye. “And why is it that you left her there?” He spits through gritted teeth. “Your mission was to bring her to me when she’d been located.” 

 

      Helia leans back in her chair with saddened eyes. Like this they’re almost a watery blue, even though he knows they’re the color of emeralds glittering in the sun. “The collar. It’s not just a standard slave-collar. It’s embedded with a small explosive that will kill her instantly if she tries to flee. Only Jyiren has the detonator. I figured you’d meant me to bring her back in one piece, master.” 

 

      He almost loses his temper at her disrespectful tone, but decides against it. Helia had gotten further than anyone else had, himself included in their search for the Empress. And besides, he knows that she doesn’t bear any ill-will behind her words. It’s just simply the truth. However crass she may be, she’s never once said anything mean to him just for the sake of it. 

 

      Kylo doesn’t waste another minute. The plot begins now… 

 

* * *

 ****

      It all goes down six days later. Six later than he would have hoped. Preferably, Kylo would have gone after Rey the moment he knew where he was. Unfortunately, the timing wasn’t right. Not even an hour after Helia had shown up at the castle of Mustafar, a meteor shower had crippled most of the core systems, and many reported debris falling from the sky at alarming speeds and intervals. That meant that Kylo, as Emperor, had to somehow take care of it. Sending peacekeepers was out of the question. There was little a squad of those could do. 

 

      So instead he sent out a massive band of mechanoids, and heavy machinery to destroy and clear the rubble. The entire operation had taken seventy-two hours, at which point Ren was brimming with anxiety. It’s highly unlikely that Jyiren would have moved during that time, but it was still on the list of concerns. Helia’s visit to him the other day might have spooked him into fleeing his mansion, and taking Rey with him elsewhere. 

 

      Just as he and his Knights were about to board the shuttle to Chandrila, a droid factory is burned to the ground on Tatooine, and the Rebels take the credit. As they will take the fall. 

 

      He goes in front of cameras and journalists alike to publicly declare the Rebel allegiance as public enemy number one. It had been a long time coming, and it sure put a smile on his followers faces. Especially General McCain, the man who’d taken over after Hux’s untimely death. At least Kylo didn’t have that rabid cur to deal with any longer; a fact that made him indescribably happy. Ren had known for a while predating his demise that Hux was planning a coup. Of course, ridding the galaxy of Armitage Hux had always been Kylo Ren’s plan.

 

      It still doesn’t help the current situation at all. Rey is still being kept by that creep; probably trying to figure out how to escape. The thought makes him smile. His little scavenger is smart and nifty… she’s probably thought about ten different ways already; all accounting for the collar she’s wearing. 

 

      Whenever his heart clenches and his eyes start to water, he pulls up the image Helia had taken of her. The one where she looks undeniably harrowed and sorrowful. It hurts him to see her like this, but it just reminds him what would happen should he fail. Then this photograph is all he’ll have left of her… that and his memories. The fact that he never truly got to hold her, apart from the time he’d carried her into his shuttle back on Takodana. 

 

      Ren doesn’t want to live with his memories and regrets. He wants to make new ones with her. Their first embrace, their first kiss, their first love-making, their first day as husband and wife, their first of many children… and their last meeting. Not until the galaxy implodes will Kylo give up. 

 

      So the mood while boarding his Upsilon class shuttle is nothing but genuine anticipation. The promise of tomorrow has come. And Kylo’s ready to take the step into the future, without looking back. She’ll forgive him for his indiscretions and failures; he knows it. Just so long as she’s here to do so. 

 

      Helia takes the lead and flies them into the atmosphere of Chandrila. He hasn’t been back here since he was a child, when his mother had finally left his father for good. Ben had cried back then for a different reason. This time, the tears that fall down his face behind his mask are tears of relief. He’s finally going to see her again, after all these years. And his heart is screaming out for its soulmate; its better half. 

 

      Without her he is a broken man; just one piece of two walking around aimlessly through life. That will change soon. 

 

      As soon as they clear the security check, which takes forever in Ren’s opinion, they fly straight towards the mansion. They land on the landing pad and hop out the shuttle like it’s on fire. Ren races down the pad, towards the front door; only to find that the house looks undeniably abandoned. 

 

      “It’s… It’s empty.” He utters; removing his mask. His hand reaches for the handle, only to find that the door is locked. His Knights approach fast, standing beside their weary master as they see him lose the last bout of sanity he has left. 

 

      Helia, feeling his pain and grief in the Force, places a gentle hand on his shoulder. Ren welcomes the comforting touch. But he’s no less broken because of it. “Let’s go inside.” She says anyway, waiting for Malen to kick the door down - which he does a moment later. 

 

      There’s nothing left inside. Just an empty house. There’s no dust settled over the floor or the few pieces of furniture left behind, which means that they can’t be far away. They might still have time to catch up with them before it’s too late, and she escapes his grasp once more. 

 

      Malen, Mei, Miraak, Willow, and Lin clear the rooms on the ground floor one by one until they all yell out a disappointed “clear”. Helia leads him towards the staircase where they each take shaky steps to the next floor. They stop for a moment at the top to take in the hopelessness of the situation. 

 

      And that’s when he feels it. Just a small spark in the Force, but it’s there. A heartbeat coming from deep within the mansion. He doesn’t give Helia a warning before he bolts towards the source; but he’s sure she understands. After all, her attunement to the Force is almost as good as his own. She surely must have felt it too. 

 

      Step after step he gets closer, until finally he stops before a white door painted with beautiful, cerulian flowers that Ben has long since forgotten the name of. He takes a deep breath, looks at his Knight who nods, and then opens it. 

 

      And finally his search is over. On the bed, centered perfectly in the room, she lays; sleeping soundly. He runs over; flying to her side in a second flat. “Rey?” He cries out frantically; shaking her shoulders. But she doesn’t stir. She’s alive, but badly bruised and hurt. When he finally catches up with Jyiren, he’ll kill him. He’ll make the man beg for mercy, just because he can, and then he’ll strike true; straight through his heart. 

 

      “Rey?” He tries again, but she’s not responsive. He must have drugged her. The first thing he notices, apart from the bruises, is the lack of a collar. Good… one less thing to worry about. 

 

      But there’s not much else to do. She’s not waking up, not yet at least. He lifts his love into his arms, just like when they’d first met, and carries her out the door. And he doesn’t look back. 

 

      He finds his love just as Fall is about to turn to Winter. The thing he remembers the most about that day except finding her is how the snow danced all around them, and melted against her skin. 

 

**[END OF PART TWO]**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _**Seriously, what’s with these bible verses? You’re not even religious.** _
> 
>  
> 
> *Shrugs* They’re about chains. 
> 
> _**You could have put anything there. Like, I dunno, GoT quotes or something?** _
> 
>  
> 
> I could have. But this is dark and angsty. Kind of like most bible verses. 
> 
> _**Wow… you just offended a whole group of people straight off the bat.** _
> 
>  
> 
> Nuh-uh. On the contrary! I believe I’m bringing these great verses to light so that others might read them and see the wisdom they bestow *High and mighty*
> 
> _**Uh-huh… and you decided to put them into a fic with the tagline: “eventual smut”.** _
> 
>  
> 
> …
> 
> _**…** _
> 
>  
> 
> Point taken. 
> 
> _**Yeah, you’ll burn in Hell.** _
> 
> Oh Yah… Most definitely.


	3. Liberated [Winter]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hold on to your horses, people, this is going to be a _really_ long one.

 

**_Mark 5:4_ **

**_“Because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him.”_ **

 

 

 

      Ben places her on the softest bed he can find when they return to Mustafar: his own. He’s hoping that his scent will somehow trick her into waking up. He still doesn’t know how she sees him. Maz had told him on Takodana that she wanted to see him, but not what for. Just that she wanted help sneaking into the castle on Coruscant. But that could have been for a number of reasons; one of them being to finish her many attempts at killing him. But Maz had promised Rey safe passage to Mustafar nonetheless with one of her most trusted smugglers. 

 

      And then she’d been stolen away from him. Whisked away in a slavers ship and taken far away from home and safety. 

 

      All he can do now is wait, like he’d done on  _ Starkiller Base _ , for her to wake from her forced slumber. Whatever Jyiren had injected her with, it was potent. The first day Ben is a nervous wreck. Helia and the other Knights force him out of his bedroom, and away from Rey’s side, for some sustenance. But when they try to offer to trade places he refuses. He neither wants, nor needs, to leave Rey’s side. He should probably add “can’t” to that list as well. It’s the primal need to protect her that keeps him from closing his eyes; fearing that something might strike her if he were to fall asleep. 

 

      That first day he spends most of his time sitting in the divan; resting his back against the cracked, stone walls. When it becomes apparent that he’s going to be waiting for a while longer still he switches on the TV to the newschannel of Coruscant. Though he’s rarely there, he still likes to keep a watchful eye on what’s happening on the surface. The most popular story surfacing as of late has been the tall tale about the relationship between himself and a daughter of a powerful businessman from Corellia. He almost laughs out loud. Last week it had been a dancer, the week before that a famous holo-show actress, and the week before that it had been a holonet porn-star.

 

      When he gets tired of that he flips through the channels, landing on various cooking- and talk-shows; one more duller than the other. At least he knows now how to make Tatooinian bantha steak with grilled veggies and honey-baked bark-bread. Maybe he’ll try making it some day with Rey. Occasionally his gaze wanders over to her sleeping form, only to be disappointed when each time he finds her own eyes closed. 

 

      When he wakes on the morning of day two, embarrassed that he’d fallen asleep in the first place, his neck is bent in a horrible angle and every muscle and bone in his body aches from the awkward position. That’s when he makes Vanee put in an old rickety mattress just below where she’s sleeping. The man obeys with a swift: “Of course, master”, and does as he’s told. 

 

      Most of day two he spends attending meetings in the adjacent office, with the door open so he can still see Rey. He spends most of his conference calls glancing through the transparent screen at her sleeping form. Occasionally she stirs, which almost makes him bolt out of his chair the first few times. When it becomes apparent that she’s not actually waking up, he proceeds to sit down and apologize for his abrupt movement to whomever is currently on the screen. 

 

      By the third time he just smiles softly. General McCain takes it to mean that Ren is smiling at him, and returns it with a cheesy slogan about the empire of old and their accomplishment that almost makes the Emperor roll his eyes in annoyance. Thankfully he doesn’t. By the time he ends the call he’s famished and parched, both of which Vanee has dutifully considered. When he enters his bed chambers again there’s a tray of food sitting on the small table by the window. It’s day on Mustafar, but the sun is barely visible through the thick, dark clouds that always envelope the atmosphere. 

 

      Rey would probably complain about the lack of sunlight when she wakes, he muses silently to himself. Maybe someday soon, after she’s recovered, he’ll finally take the step and move them both to Coruscant. Or maybe even Naboo. She’d like that, he thinks. 

 

      When he’s finished with his dinner of simple steamed veggies, plum-sauce, and womp rat steak - which is actually tastier than it sounds - he leaves the tray just outside the door for the cleaning droid to fetch at its leisure. Kylo moves on to do some more paperwork, and trains in his personal gym, just past his office. It’s still angled so he can both hear and see Rey, should she awaken while he’s blowing off some steam. She doesn’t. 

 

      Not even when he exits the shower, and has changed into his nightly attire, and knocks over a vase does she stir. For some reason the mere thought shakes him to the core, and worry blooms in his chest like a flower in a meadow. When he calls in Lin, who’s Force-healing abilities are without its equal, he’s given a shaky diagnosis. In that Lin simply doesn’t know how long it’s going to take before Rey regains consciousness. He thanks his Knight, and promptly shoves him out the door before he can ask more questions. 

 

      Ben doesn’t sleep well that night, worse than ever since setting foot on Mustafar two years ago. He tosses and turns till morning, and eventually gives up and starts pacing instead. He’s almost walked paths into the floor. He reluctantly decides to give in to his Knights demands, and surrenders all control. 

 

      Lin leads him into a sensory deprivation chamber that morning where he meditates for hours. When they finally let him out, he’s refreshed and imbued with new energy and a sense of clarity he’s been lacking for years. It’s the first day in a long time he finally gets some productive work done. 

 

      The Knights of Ren and their master sit at the conference table until late at night and discuss many important articles on their agendas. First and foremost is banishing slavery, to ensure what happened to Rey will never happen to anyone else. The majority of the galaxy will be ecstatic, but he knows some who will oppose. The remainder will just have to deal with it, or face the consequences and his blade. 

 

      The next item on the agenda is dealing with Jakku. He decides to appoint Willow with this task. She could make anything grow in even the most hostile of environments, so Jakku should be a piece of cake. He’s to be kept posted on her progress and ideas, and she even comes up with a few useful points as they sit around waiting for their dinner to be served. 

 

      She instantly proposes to denounce Unkar Plutt from his seat of power. He’s to be given some compensation for his past service, but is otherwise dismissed. He won’t like it, but Ren finds that he doesn’t care. 

 

      As they get further into their dinner, the ideas flow like a river. More and more keep popping into her head, until finally Helia snaps and asks her to just write it down instead. Lin consoles his wife with a pat to her back, but she doesn’t seem discouraged at all. At the end of their meal, she’s amassed almost sixteen pages full. Finally, Ben thinks, a step in the right direction. 

 

      He decides to read through them all later that night when he’s laying on the mattress; stroking Rey’s hand which has fallen over the edge of the bed earlier. Some of the ideas he puts a pin in, while others he outright denies. 

 

      But the bit about a giant greenhouse actually catches his attention. People like Rey wouldn’t have been so malnourished if they’d only gotten the right sustenance. And a greenhouse that big is sure to need workers tending the produce night and day. Soon enough more and more people would be employed with fair hours and wages. 

 

      It wouldn’t happen overnight, but given a little time Jakku would become a hub of civilisation. And not to mention the locals themselves. No more sleeping in crudely assembled homes of clay and fabric. No… real houses, bars, local hang-outs, hospitals, courthouses, and everything else one could think of. 

 

      Perhaps one day in the future, he’ll even build them a second home there. Not a castle… Rey likes things more simplistic than that. But maybe a mansion, where they could spend the cold winter months away from Coruscant. Or maybe she’ll want the snow and cold weather; things she’s never experienced before. 

 

      By the last point on Willow’s agenda, Ben’s eyes droop lower and lower until eventually he can’t keep them open any longer. He falls asleep effortlessly, and stays unconscious the entire night. 

 

      By the third day he finally caves and calls in a doctor from the outside world. An old woman in her late sixties gives him a better estimate of when Rey might wake up, but that she needs to be better cared for until then. The doctor starts with some physical therapy, a sponge bath - which Ben leaves the room for - and some ointment to prevent bedsores. She injects IV fluids into the young woman’s arm, and makes sure to correct the worst of the malnourishment, and some saline drip to flush out the drugs Jyiren had used on her. 

 

      The doctor vows to stay until Rey’s fully recovered, and the old lady assures him that she’s in pique condition by the time night falls. 

 

      Ben surrenders his place by Rey’s side, and decides to make use of one of the many guest-rooms around the castle. He sleeps instead in one of the chambers that were intended for Luke, should he ever choose to abandon the Jedi and join his father. That day had never come, and Vader had seen his demise before his son ever set foot here again. The one and only time Luke Skywalker had ever visited Mustafar and the castle, he’d taken one look at Vanee, and his father’s belongings, before deciding to never return. Ben’s own mother had had almost an identical response. Han hadn’t even come to see it. He’d been too wrapped up in the fact that it had belonged to Vader to even bother. But Ben had seen it for what it truly was. A place for healing and respite. 

 

      When he’s not working, meditating, or spending time with his Knights, Ben thinks a lot. About his parents and their misguided fears against the First Order, the darkside, and this castle. Which only brings him more anger. Luke had long discouraged him about the dark, but Ben realize now that the Force is just the Force. There is no dark or light. It’s just meaningless words.

 

      At other times he spends hours with Vanee, listening to his tales of Vader, but also of the old Empire. It gives Ben endless ideas of how to improve the First Order and its ideals. He begins with the ban of super-weapons such as  _ Starkiller base _ . The top brass are furious, until Ben explains that there was no winner after Hosnian Prime, and that silences them for a long time. 

 

      He even invites Finn to come to Mustafar as his guest, which he graciously accepts. He almost faints with glee when he finds out that Rey is there. Ben finds himself jealous that he has to share her precious time with another man, but quickly understands that there really is nothing but friendship between the two. Finn sees her as a sister, rather than a prospective paramore. 

 

      That eases Ben’s ill mood considerably. 

 

      When they’re not by Rey’s side they’re usually in the dining-hall, improving upon some of the Knights ideas. Finn even chimes in with his own occasionally, and soon the table is scarcely silent. Sometimes there’s even laughter and wine. But most of all there are important discussions on how to further the galaxy and make living-conditions better. One of which is ridding the universe of the Resistance; something which even Finn agrees with. He sees nothing of his old friend Poe Dameron in that husk of a tyrant any longer. He might as well be stranger. 

 

      He goes to bed that night, three glasses of wine in his belly, and dreams about the  _ Millenium Falcon.  _ He dreams that he flies beside his father, and quickly understands that it’s a memory.  _ “Maybe don’t tell your mother about this, kid. You know how she gets.”  _ Han had told a young Ben after letting him pilot the  _ Falcon  _ on his own at seven years of age. It’s a memory he treasures deeply. Before that moment he’d only ever sat beside him. But that moment, Han explained, was a big-boy moment. Soon after that he would move on to his first speeder, and then his first quadjumper. So naturally, he dreams about flying. 

 

      He’s startled awake by someone shaking his shoulders roughly; tossing him from side to side. When his eyes finally adjust to the light in the room, he realizes that it’s Helia. “Ari?” He calls out. 

 

      “You haven’t called me that in a really long time, Ben.” She says. “Not since we were kids at the academy.” And it’s true. When they’d both attended, he’d looked doey-eyed at the girl three years his senior. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he’d had a bit of a crush on her back then. 

 

      “Yeah, well… it  _ is  _ your name still.” He murmurs. 

 

      “Ben, I’m not kidding. You need to wake up.” 

 

      “Why?” He groans. “The pillow is too comfortable.” 

 

      “Yeah, well, we’ve got bigger things to deal with. Your girl’s awake.” And suddenly sleep is the last thing on his mind. 

 

* * *

 

      Her eyelids feel heavy as lead, and her ears are ringing. Every noise sounds muddled and unclear, but she can tell that someone’s talking.  _ Oh, God… please no. Not him… Not Jyiren.  _

 

      Then there’s pain. Inexplicable pain that makes her head spin and nerves tingle. He’d finally done it… he’d laid a hand on her. Like Mrs. Kriek promised he never would. Suddenly she ignores the pain and shoots straight up, like an arrow fired from a bow; fearing for the old woman’s life. She needs to be warned at all costs. And if she’s been harmed, Rey vows to take her far away from that horrible place. 

 

      “Mrs. Kriek?” She cries out. Gods, why won’t her eyes work? All she sees is blurred figures. Several of them. “W-who’s there?” 

 

      The shortest figure opens their mouth, but Rey can’t comprehend what they’re saying. She can’t hear. “W-what? I don’t understand.” Someone lifts their hand, placing them to the side of her head. There’s a muffled snapping sound. But it’s so faint it’s practically not even there. 

 

      The figure shakes their head and turns to face the rest. 

 

      “Mrs. Kriek?” Rey tries again, unable to hear if she’s actually spoken or not. The vibrations in her chest tells her that she’s said  _ something,  _ but she’s not sure what. “Mrs. Kriek?” She calls out once more. “Please, help me.” She pleads to the shadow, who just shakes their head again. 

 

      Then two strong hands wrap around her head. She screams. “No, stop! Don’t touch me!” 

 

_       “-ey?”  _ Silence.  _ “-y?”  _ More silence.  _ “Rey?”  _ Finally! A word. A name…  _ her  _ name. Not the one she’d given to Jyiren. Whoever the shadow is, they obviously know her. 

 

_       Please no… not the Resistance again. Please, anything but them.  _ “Poe?” She tries. 

 

_       “No… -have to try- please.”  _

 

      “What?” Tears of frustration fall down her face. She can feel the Force flowing through the person’s fingers, into her skull, and finally repair the damage done to her hearing. 

 

      “Rey?” Her head whips to the side. She knows that voice. It’s clear; untainted. Her ears are finally working. “Rey, can you hear me?” 

 

      “B-ben?” She croaks out. 

 

      “Yes, Rey. I’m here. You’re safe now. You’re safe.” Then the mattress beneath her dips slightly, as though he’s sat down by her side. A hand touches her cheek, and Rey can’t help but to lean into it. That big, warm, slightly calloused palm of his. “Oh, Sweetheart. I’m here.” 

 

      “Ben.” She cries; reaching her arms towards him. She feels his face, the big scar she’d given him, the strong nose and sharp cheekbones, and his slightly stubbly chin. There’s no doubt in her mind: it’s really him. “Ben.” Her body moves at lightning speed; arms flinging around his shoulders. “Oh, Ben.” And then the tears come in earnest; like a wicked monsoon without an end. 

 

      “Careful, miss!” A female voice chides. “You’ve just come out of a coma. Your body needs some time to rest and recuperate. You need to take it easy!” But Rey isn’t listening. It’s been two years, but somehow it feels like a decade since she’d last seen him. It had taken two painfilled, agonizing, soul-crushing years to find her way back to Ben Solo. 

 

      Oh how it was worth it. 

 

      It takes several hours for her to finally calm down, and several sweet nothings whispered into her ear before she calms down enough to let Ben go. His shirt is probably soaked through completely by now, but Rey finds she doesn’t have a care in the world. After everything that’s happened, she deserves it. And he doesn’t complain. 

 

      She leans back against the headboard and takes a deep breath. Then she turns to face the doctor, whom she presumes is to her right. “Why is it I can’t see, doctor?” She asks. 

 

      The woman examines her some more. Then she steps back and speaks: “It seems that the harm you were caused damaged your cornea. It’ll resolve itself eventually, but it will take time. For now I’d recommend some bandages to cover your eyes to give them some time to heal. I’d estimate somewhere between three to four weeks.” 

 

      A standard galactic month. Rey supposes that it’s not the worst thing in the world. She’d spent her entire life waiting patiently for her parents. At this point she’s practically the master of patience. But it sucks, for a lack of a better word. She wants to look upon Ben’s face and see how it’s changed over the years. She can’t even imagine how she must look like to him, all blonde, blue-eyed and frail. Not at all the woman he remembers. 

 

      The doctor pushes something foul-smelling to her lips and beckons her to drink, though she vehemently refuses. “What is it?” She demands. “It smells like bantha-piss.” She can hear a rumble of laughter. “Who else is here?” 

 

      “My Knights.” Ben answers. 

 

      “The Knights of Ren?” She asks for clarification. 

 

      He hums. 

 

      “Are we on Mustafar?” She asks. 

 

      Ben hums again and drags his fingers through her hair. “Yes, Sweetheart. We’re on Mustafar.” 

 

      “In Vader’s castle?” She can feel the moment he stiffens. 

 

      “How much did my mother tell you?” He asks. 

 

      Rey shrugs. “Not much, really. Just small tidbits and pieces.” 

 

      “Are you hungry?” Ben asks as a way to steer the conversation away from his deceased relatives. “I can bring you something to eat.” 

 

      It’s not his fault, it really isn’t, but the mention of food makes her stomach turn. Not because she isn’t hungry, because Force knows she is, but it’s the past months of systematic abuse she’s had to endure from Jyiren. Of how he’d withheld as much as possible in order to make her more compliant and shape her into his view of the perfect woman. So she shakes her head as a default response. “Not really.” 

 

      “Rey.” He says her name sternly. “You seem to forget that we're both strong with the Force.”

 

      “So?” She asks, not completely following why that would matter. 

 

      “I can feel when someone’s lying.” 

 

      And that makes her defensive. “Then why did you ask if you knew the answer?” She’s moping now, she knows, but she can’t help it. It’s the fear talking; of giving the wrong answer and ending up with nothing. Jyiren had done it before; asking her if she was hungry and she’d answered with a candid: “starving” which never failed to rile him up. 

 

      Ben inhales sharply. “I’m sorry.” He says. “I didn’t mean to offend you.” 

 

      It makes her feel guilty. That she’s pushing him away when he just wants to help. This is Ben in front of her, not the cruel master. “Yeah, I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean to snap. I’m just frustrated.” 

 

      “And thin as a blade of grass.” A familiar voice says. It makes Rey stiffen. “I figured you would remember me, Lady Rey.” 

 

      “I’m no Lady,” Rey says. “And I remember you. Lady Arianna, right?” 

 

      The woman chuckles. “That’s what you get for using your real name, I guess.” She states wryly for some reason. Like an inside joke Rey’s not in on. But Ben chimes in with a small huff of laughter of his own, and that alone is enough to make Rey forget the feeling of being left out. Just hearing the quiet staccato of his laugh. And then, like a storm out of nowhere, the mood changes and she can feel the imprints of the Force turn dark. “I should have killed that sleaze-ball when I had the chance.” She says with deadly seriousness. 

 

      Rey averts her face. She can’t bear to hear - or talk - about Jyiren right now. His name doesn’t belong on her tongue or in her thoughts. Whatever had happened between him beating her, and Rey waking up in the Mustafar castle, doesn’t matter. But there’s still a curiosity. She  _ needs  _ to know. 

 

      “How did you get him to release me?” She asks. The room turns silent as the grave and she can feel Ben dismissing his Knights. Even the doctor leaves. When they’re finally alone she asks again. “Ben? How did you get him to release me?” 

 

      “We didn’t.” He states. “You were just laying there on the bed when we entered the mansion. I think Helia’s- sorry, Arianna’s- visit may have spooked him.” 

 

      “Why? He didn’t know that you were looking for me. Did he?” She asks in confusion. Because why would he know that the Emperor was looking for Rey? She wouldn’t even have matched the description Ben would have given. 

 

      “That’s not entirely true.” He says, and she realizes that she’s spoken the words aloud. “I never stopped looking for you, Rey. A man at Chinook station told me that you had changed your appearance. I knew exactly what you looked like. And so did Jyiren when he read the bounty.” 

 

      She crosses her arms over her chest. “So what’s the price on my head? It must have been more than the forty-thousand the Resistance is offering? What are the charges? Treason or murder? For permanently scarring you?” She bristles; words filled with accusation. 

 

      But nothing seems to rile him into a confrontation. “No, Rey. It’s not a bounty in the traditional sense. You’re not  _ wanted  _ for anything by the First Order. I just wanted you returned to me alive and unharmed.” 

 

      “And how much is the Emperor of the galaxy prepared to pay from the scavenger rat that killed Supreme Leader Snoke?” 

 

      He finally shows the first signs of exasperation. “I didn’t mean to say that you did. It just slipped out when Hux asked. It doesn’t matter any longer. He’s gone, and no one cares about Snoke anymore.” 

 

      “That’s not true!” She exclaims. “Don’t be so foolish as to believe that people have simply forgotten! There are still people who-”

 

      “ _ No _ .” He says forcefully. “Because they’re all gone. I made sure of that long ago. No one from Snoke’s time remains in the top brass apart from myself and my Knights. And they all know. The rest just assume that it was the way of the Sith.” 

 

      “But you’re not a Sith, Ben.” She says in an as-a-matter-of-fact-tone that infuriates him. It’s almost haughty and condescending. 

 

      “No, I’m not. But people don’t know that. They don’t  _ need  _ to know that. They automatically assume that just because I walk down the dark side of the Force that I’m a Sith. And I honestly don’t care enough to correct them, alright? There’s no point, really. It’s just a term, like any other. The Jedi, the Sith… they’re all gone.” 

 

      “I suppose you’re very happy about that.” Rey accuses. 

 

      “Yes.” He admits. “It was time to let old ways die. The Sith and the Jedi alike were outdated views, and completely redundant. But most of all they were wrong. There is no wrong way to use the Force, Rey. Both the Light and the Dark can inspire great evil and great goodness. The Force is the Force. Simple as that. We don’t need either or. We can take inspiration and wisdom from both.” 

 

      And he has a point, she realizes. Jedi master Luke Skywalker was capable of great evil; he showed that when he tried to kill his nephew. Masters like Obi-Wan, and Padawans like Anakin Skywalker, had both done a great deal of dark deeds in their lives. So yes, Ben is right. It’s time to let old things die. It’s been due for a long time now, but people have foolishly clung to what they were taught; never asking why. 

 

      So Rey yields. “Alright.” She murmurs under her breath. “I can concede to that much at least.” 

 

      “Good.” Ben simply says. And then it gets quiet for awhile. “I… I want to ask you some things.” 

 

      “Alright.” Rey nods in consent. 

 

      “They’re not pleasant.” He admits. 

 

      She cringes. “Is it about Jyiren or the Resistance?” 

 

      “Honestly, both.” 

 

      And she does. She tells him everything from the point when she’d closed the door on his face back on Crait. Of Leia’s last moments alive, of Poe’s sudden change, of all his dirty deeds, of keeping the entirety of the Resistance in the dark, of her imprisonment, escape, of Chewie and Finn, of Astlin, and Chinook, and of Maz. She barely stops to breathe in between it all until she reaches the night she was taken. 

 

      Then she becomes eerily quiet for a moment before proceeding with her story. Of how she’d been sold, enslaved, raped, and abused. And of her final night at Jyiren’s mansion. But she also tells him the good parts. Of her friends, her revelations and realizations. And the small glimmers of happiness that made her hopeful. 

 

      Ben stays quiet all throughout. At the end of her story he stands up, kisses her temple, and promises that he’ll bring her some food. Just as he’s about to leave, he turns around to face her and speaks so quietly he’s practically whispering. “You’ll never want for nothing here, Rey. Never again will someone treat you like that.” 

 

      And for the first time in a really _long_ time, Rey’s found someone she can believe and trust full-heartedly. 

 

* * *

 ****

      The first few days of her recovery are slow. She’s been stuck in bed for the past week, plus the time since the night with Jyiren. Nearing two weeks with nothing but an IV bag to sustain her and keep her alive. 

 

      Her first meal after waking up is consumed so fast that the doctor has to slow her down. But Ben proceeds to tell her off, which only results in Rey vomiting it all up an hour later. After that he learns to listen to the doctor’s advice. Rey learns as well a few meals later and no longer needs to puke after eating. 

 

      Then there’s the physical aspect. Lying down for two weeks has made her muscles deteriorate. She weighs no more than ninety-pounds, which is basically all skin and bone at this point. Added to that is her loss of eyesight, which just makes walking from the bed to a chair a royal pain and ten times more difficult than it should be. Ben, of course, is extremely supportive and there with her every single step of the way. But when it comes to her regularly scheduled showers he waits outside while the other women tend to her. He’s a proper gentleman, never pushing to be there with her when she’s most vulnerable. Ben’s kind and understanding; like a fresh breath of air. 

 

      Eventually she graduates from the chair to his arm as he parades her around the castle for longer and longer durations of time; describing every small detail. And she’s filled with an inexplicable sense of wonder. 

 

      It’s while walking through the indoor gardens one day that she suggests it. “I know that you were just following Snoke’s orders back on  _ Starkiller _ , but is the offer to train with you an open one?” She asks; feeling childish for it. 

 

      He stops in his steps; swallowing thickly. “I… yes. It’s an open one. But I’d recommend against it while you’re still recovering.” His fingers tickle lightly against her temple. “And you need to give your eyes more time to heal as well.” 

 

      “Leia once told me about a blind Jedi master. He didn’t need his eyes to see; just the Force. I’d like to believe that I can do it, too.” She presses on with pride. 

 

      Ben just laughs. “That man’s name was Chirrut Imwe, and he certainly wasn’t a Jedi, Rey. Just a Force sensitive fighting for the Resistance. And if my memory serves me right he died on Scarif with the rest of  _ Rogue One. _ ” 

 

      She furrows her brow as Ben continues leading her through the gardens. “What’s  _ Rogue One? _ ” She asks. 

 

      He snorts. “I’m surprised my mother never told you about them. They were a really big deal within the Resistance way back when. It’s only because of Jyn Erso that my mother even got the plans for the Death Star in the first place. Those people-” He spits; referring to the Rebels. “-fly Jyn’s banner like she was the second coming of the Messiah.” 

 

      Rey shakes her head. “Leia never told me about them. But I do remember hearing the name Jyn Erso around the base. Poe held her in very high regard.” 

 

      “Of course he would.” Ben sneers. “He probably got the idea of terrorism from her father, Galen. He willfully worked against Vader and his goals. Galen Erso is the reason the Death Star was destroyed. As lead crystallography and energy enrichment he made sure to plant a “fail-safe” within the Star itself.” 

 

      “You say that like it’s a bad thing, Ben.” Rey turns her face away in shame. Not because of her words, but because of  _ his _ . She felt shame that he would condone such needless violence. It’s like he wanted Vader to succeed, and realizes that he probably does. 

 

      “It’s not a bad thing. Super weapons like the Death Stars’ never should have existed in the first place. That’s what you get when you let the folly of mankind make all the decisions.” He pauses by a stone-bench underneath the apple tree; beckoning her to sit by his side for a while. “What I’m trying to say is that people like Poe twisted Galen’s sacrifice and made it into something horrendously wrong. They misinterpreted it all. Galen didn’t do it for the galaxy: he did it for his daughter Jyn. It wasn’t an act of terrorism, it was an act of love. But Poe just doesn’t understand that.” 

 

      “You don’t have to tell me.” She murmurs quietly under her breath. “I’ve seen first-hand what men like Poe can do. There’s no end to his tyranny. He will take, and take, and take, until all that remains is dust in the galaxy. I lived under his thumb for almost two years, Ben. He’s the true monster.” 

 

      “Yes! Yes, exactly!” Ben exclaims all of a sudden. “You see it, Rey. You understand why we need to put a stop to all of this.” 

 

      She raises her palm in between their two bodies to silence him. “But that doesn’t mean that I condone more violence. When will it stop, Ben? People like Poe will stop at nothing to further their own means, but don’t let yourself stoop to his level. Spare those who surrender willingly. Do it for me.” She pleads. 

 

      He almost leans in to kiss her. That this woman, who’s been through so much pain and suffering, can still advocate for the good in others; for peace, and for compassion. She would have made a good Jedi if Luke had actually taught her anything. 

 

      She desperately needs a teacher, lest something like this happens again and she has to rely on blind luck for guidance. He won’t let her fall because of his reluctance to see her hurt. Ben gives in. “I will grant those who surrender to my authority mercy. But that’s as far as my clemency extends. I will not condone terrorism to spread like wildfire through the galaxy once more. They’ll still be locked away for life, or at least until I say otherwise.  _ I  _ am the Emperor.” He proclaims. “And no one will ever forget it.” 

 

      “And what about me?” She asks hesitantly. 

 

      “What about you?”  He asks back. 

 

      “What am I? Your friend? Your apprentice? Am I… something  _ more. _ ” She bites her lip and shies away from his scrutinizing gaze. She can’t even see it, but she knows that he’s studying her face intensely. 

 

      He lets out a deep sigh, brings her hand to his lips, and places a feather-like kiss to her knuckles. “Well… that’s up to you.” He admits. “You’re what you want to be. My friend, my apprentice, or my something more.” 

 

      She grins teasingly. “And what if I wanted to be the queen? Wait, I guess I’d be Empress.” Rey chews on her lip again, a nervous habit he’s observed during their time together. 

 

      “That you would be.” Ben chuckles. “Hopefully  _ my  _ Empress.” It’s like he’s fifteen again; confessing a school-boy crush. “If you’d have me.” 

 

      Her breath hitches almost imperceptible, but Ben hears it. He knows. “I’m not saying  _ no _ .” She eventually settles for. “Will you give me some time to think about it? Can we start off with just being friends and go from there?” 

 

      He’s not  _ disappointed,  _ per se. It’s just that his expectations were different. He’d just assumed that when Rey was safely back with him, she wouldn’t hesitate to become his wife. Months ago it would have worked. But after what Jyiren’s done to her it’ll probably take a long time before she trusts another man like that again. Ben can be patient, for her. If it’s time she wants, it’s time he’ll give her. 

 

      “Of course.” He replies. “Friends.” He murmurs. “Take all the time you need. But know that no matter what you decide, you always have a place here. No one will take it away from you. You’re always welcomed back by my side. And if you choose to move on with your life, I won’t stop you. Whether it involves me or not. I just want you to be happy.” His eyes are downcast in sadness. Rey picks it up in his tone of voice; squeezing his hand tightly. 

 

      “And what would make you happy?” She asks; finding it difficult to breathe. He was just so…  _ intense.  _

 

      “Just staying by your side… no matter what that means. I’ll settle for just having you in my life.” 

 

* * *

 ****

      They decide to postpone any training until Rey can walk around unaided at the very least. She doesn’t seem to happy about it, but ultimately understands. There’s no reason to further her injuries by jumping the gun and getting into vigorous training straight off the bat. 

 

      A week later she’s strong enough to sit by the dinner table for their meals, so that’s a start. Vanee, Ben explains, has been with the Skywalker family since Vader’s time. He warns her of his appearance, which Rey just laughs off. It’s not like it matters anyway. She’s still blind as a bat, and the old man has a kind, low voice that makes her feel safe. She can’t see it, but she knows that Ben is smiling. 

 

      The biggest surprise of her lifetime is  _ feeling  _ Finn walk into the dining hall that same day; just recently back from a week-long diplomatic mission. It’s like it all plays out in slow motion. Finn spots her sitting there, finally awake after weeks of watching her unconscious form, and though she can’t see Rey turns her head towards him. 

 

      “Finn?” She croaks out; tears wetting the fabric of the bandages. 

 

      He bolts towards her; throwing his arms around his dearest friend. They stand there, by the edge of the table, for several minutes. They spend the next couple of hours just talking, about everything and nothing at all. Time flies by until suddenly it’s late at night, but neither are tired enough to go to sleep. The rest of the Knights, and Ben himself, has retired long ago; not wishing to impose on their emotional reunion. 

 

      “What happened, Rey? To the Resistance?” Finn asks; glass of brandy in hand as he leans against the back of the couch, finally letting the exhaustion get to him. “One moment we were fighting for freedom, justice, and equality, and the next we’re all terrorists.” 

 

      “We lost our light, Finn. We lost our hope the moment we flew off Crait.” She takes his hand in her own; squeezing it lightly. “And when Leia died we just kept spiraling out of control. But we will work towards a better future… Ben will ensure that justice will be served.” 

 

      Finn frowns. “By killing everyone that opposes his rule?” 

 

      Rey shakes her head definitively. “No, Finn. By ending those who sought to  _ destroy  _ it, and with it the galaxy.” She sighs deeply, clearly troubled by her friend’s sudden change in demeanor. He’d been working with Ben for months now… what’s made him change his mind about following him? “I convinced him to spare all the Rebels who surrender peacefully. I can’t say for certain what other fate awaits them, but they’ll be alive.” 

 

      “What happens if Ren changes his mind?” He asks suspiciously, with two parts of exasperation breaking through his voice. “Will he just start killing them off one by one as he sees fit? All in the name of justice?” 

 

      “I don’t believe he would do that. Ben may have done  _ awful  _ things in the past…” She emphasises the word, simply because it’s true. Some of his acts have been truly vile and abhorrent. She suddenly smiles. “But he’s changed. More than you can imagine, Finn. He’s making a conscious effort to do better; to  _ be  _ better.” Her face scrunches up in a deep, accusing frown. “Can you say the same about Poe?” 

 

      He gives her a weak smile. “No… no I can’t.” 

 

      Their conversation drift towards lighter topics, and suddenly they’re just two friends catching up again. Like none of the talk about the Resistance, or Ben’s rule, ever happened. It’s not until dawn that they both fall into an exhausted heap on one of the ancient leather sofas in the seating area. Ben enters the room just as breakfast is about to be served, shakes his head with a small smile, and spots the blanket Vanee has put on top of them. They looks so peaceful; like two children at a sleepover. And if it makes Rey happy, then Ben supposes that it makes him happy too. 

 

      It’s not until midday, when the rest of the inhabitants of the castle are peacefully eating their lunch, that the two friends wake. Finn helps Rey to her seat by Ben’s side, and sits down to her right. The conversation flows effortlessly between them, and Ben finally feels at peace with his life. 

 

      Rey’s physical therapy goes smoother than expected and by the end of the second week she’s practically climbing the walls. There’s still her eyesight to consider, and she sometimes complains that her bandages are getting itchy, but other than that things go surprisingly well. 

 

      So he decides to finally make good on his part of the deal. He brings her a new set of training clothes in light, beige colors - just how she likes it - and places the satchel by her side on the bed. 

 

      “What is this?” She asks suspiciously. “It’s not mine.” 

 

      He smiles weakly. “It is now. I took the liberty of ordering some training gear and outfits for you. They  _ should  _ fit, but I couldn’t be too certain without measuring you.” He blushes at the thought; willing his hormones to calm down. He clears his throat. “Anyway, get changed. Then meet me in the training room in ten minutes. If you can make it all the way over there without falling or stumbling over something, I’ll consider you healed enough to begin your lessons.” 

 

      He leaves abruptly to allow her some time to change in peace, and starts setting up the studio for them to work in. He’ll begin teaching her the basics, and work his way from there. It’ll take months, probably  _ years _ , before she’s fully trained; but he’s willing to put in the time and effort to see her succeed. 

 

      He’ll be patient with her; not that Snoke or Luke had shown him the same kindness. Nevertheless, he refuses to be anything like either of his masters and leaves it at that. He’ll find the fighting-style that fits her best and see how well she takes on new ones. 

 

      If nothing else it’ll be good exercise. It’s been a long time since he’s sparred against someone of Rey’s caliber. There’s Malen and Helia, the elite of the elite, but even they become predictable after years of training with them. By now he’s sure he knows every move in their repertoire. It’ll be good to see what Rey has up her sleeve. 

 

      He finally hears her awkward fumbling; reaching out with her hands before her as she walks. Ben sighs and considers it a moderate success. She hasn’t tripped  _ yet _ , but she’s still not trusting her instincts. “Use the Force, Rey.” He chides. “Attune yourself to the Force and the path will be clear.” 

 

      She stops dead in her tracks and just stands there. For quite some time she doesn’t make a single movement, or a sound. After a deep breath, she starts moving towards him again. This time he can feel her Force signature clear as day. It’s a steady, humming light that sings harmoniously. His own is like a wild thunderstorm, roaring and powerful. When he walks into a room he does so with assured steps and an assured confidence. He rarely has to use the Force anymore to intimidate people… his tall, muscled frame does that for him. 

 

      She giggles suddenly. “What’s so funny?” Ben asks. 

 

      “You’re different from how I remember you. More calm than before. It’s almost like you’re at peace.” She states as she takes the last few steps into the dojo. “Luke made me do this once. Well… not this  _ exactly,  _ but to reach out.” 

 

      Ben huffs out a breath of amusement. “Let me guess, you took it literally?” He can almost picture it now. Her sitting in the standard meditative pose with her eyes closed, Luke looming over her with a stern look as he asks her to just  _ reach out _ . He observes the sheepish expression on her face as she stands right in front of him. 

 

      “Yes, I did.” She admits. “He never specified!” Rey accuses loudly as she turns her head to face certain parts of the room. Her movement stops just shy of a satchel she’d recognize if she saw it. “It’s here, isn’t it? My saberstaff.” She clarifies. 

 

      He’s positively brimming with pride. “Yes, it is. Well done, Rey. That was your first lesson.” Ben walks over, sinks his hand into the bag, and withdraws her saber. “Recognizing specific objects within the Force can be the difference between life and death. Out on the battlefield, there’s no telling what kinds of weapons the enemy might have. If you’re unlucky, they might even have their own saber. If you don’t recognize your own, you might reach for theirs should you ever lose your staff in a skirmish.” He explains. “The Jedi doesn’t choose the crystal within… it chooses its master on its own. No one knows why, but it just does. And it’ll obey you, and  _ only you,  _ until it chooses not to.” 

 

      “Has it ever happened to you?” She asks; grasping the outstretched saber in her hands. It gives her an eerily feeling of deja-vu. She’d done the same thing back on Ahch-To when she’d returned Vader’s lightsaber to Luke. Except now the roles are reversed, and she’s not about to go throw it off a cliff. 

 

      Ben nods in reply. “It has. You were there, back on  _ Starkiller _ . I may never have been attuned to the crystal within Anakin’s lightsaber, but I’m still his kin. It should have obeyed  _ me,  _ and not you.” He states curtly, without any malice behind his words. 

 

      He can feel the uneasiness roll off her in waves; like the sea crashing ashore. “Do you… do you think that we’re… you know…  _ related _ ?” 

 

      And Ben can honestly say he’s at the very least  _ considered  _ the possibility. No family has been stronger with the Force than the Skywalkers after all. But up until now he’s just chalked it up to mere coincidence that Rey chose to appear like a light out of nowhere in his darkest hour. 

 

      “A simple DNA test could tell us.” He considers it for a moment, but decides to let it rest for the moment. “We’ll get to it after your lesson. But right now I need you to focus.” 

 

      But her brain is not complying. “It’s just…” She sighs in exasperation. “I may or may not have had some…  _ dreams  _ about you. Dreams that aren’t appropriate between blood-kin.” And he can see the faint blush spreading across her cheeks like a flame taking to fuel. 

 

      “I see.” He says; completely at a loss for words. “Honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if we turn out to be related.” 

 

      “Why’s that?” She asks curiously. 

 

      “I don’t think my mother and uncle ever brought it up with you, but they ended up kissing once. According to Han it was quite passionate, too.” He can swear she’s gagging, and he lets an unexpected laugh escape his throat. “That was before they knew that they were brother and sister. Back when they first met.” 

 

      “I’ve never understood that part.” Rey says after managing to calm her gag-reflex. “How could they not know? I get that they grew up separately, but they were both strong with the Force. How could they not sense it? Was it because of something Vader did?” 

 

      Ben considers it for a moment before answering. “How much do you honestly know about Darth Vader’s life before he became Vader?” 

 

      “I know that his real name is Anakin Skywalker. I know that he was a Jedi, and that he defied the rules to marry your grandmother. And that they had two children together. After that I’m not so sure.” 

 

      Ben leads her towards one of the training benches; sitting down beside her. “All of that is true. But there’s more to the story other than the fact that he was a Jedi that turned into a Sith. Most of it is lost to time, but Vanee’s given me some insights into my grandfather’s life after he lost his wife.” He tries to recall everything in order, choosing to start with his upbringing. “Anakin Skywalker came from very humble beginnings, Rey. I need you to understand that before I continue further.” She nods. “He was born a slave. I don’t know the exact details of what happened to him all those years before Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn found him, but I know it wasn’t good. Food was scarce, and jobs were hard to come by, but somehow they both managed.” 

 

      “Both?” She asks. 

 

    “Anakin and his mother.” 

 

      “What about his father?” She chimes in. 

 

      “Anakin Skywalker didn't have a father. He was born only because the Force willed it. I don’t know that story very well either, but I know that he never had a father. I used to envy that about him.” He quickly continues before she can interrupt him. “Anyway, when Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan found him it was quite by accident. They weren’t even supposed to be on Tatooine at all. From what I’ve been told they were actually protecting Padmé Amidala, the queen of Naboo, from men and women that wanted to cause her harm. Their ship ended up taking heavy fire at some point, or so I’ve been told, and they crashed on Tatooine. After that it becomes quite unclear. I know that Anakin won his freedom by winning a pod-race. He was quite the skilled pilot, even at such a young age.” 

 

      “I’m guessing that something went wrong to make him turn into Vader.” 

 

      Ben nods. “Yes, but that all happened years later. The two Jedi were planning on bringing my grandfather with them to the Jedi temple to join the order, but Qui-Gon died before he could complete his mission. Obi-Wan took over as his master after that.” He pauses, recalling the not so pleasant parts; parts of a prophecy that he wants nothing more than to forget. He doesn’t even bother bringing it up. “At first master Yoda rejected to teach Anakin. I don’t know why exactly, so don’t bother asking.” He says. “But Obi-Wan wouldn’t give up. Eventually the council caved and decided to let Anakin be trained. It took several years before he finally reunited with Padmé again; the woman who would later become his wife.” 

 

      “Wait. The same Padmé who was Queen of Naboo? So he married a queen?” She exclaims, all of a sudden excited. 

 

      Again Ben shakes his head. She’s too impatient to actually take the time to listen, he decides. But that won’t discourage him, or make him lose his temper. He’s telling her all of this for  _ her  _ benefit; not his own. “Rulers of Naboo are elected, not born into it. That’s why when they reunited, Padmé Amidala had become a senator.” He takes a deep breath, thankful to have recaptured her undivided attention. “I won’t bore you with all the gory details of the Clone Wars. Much of that can be read about in the archives if you wish. I’ll have Vanee grant you access to the library when your eyes have healed.” 

 

      She nods. “I’d like that. A lot actually. It was one of the only things I did on Jakku just for  _ me _ . For fun, I mean.” He likes hearing about small things like these. It’s like getting a glimpse into her life; like seeing it through her eyes. “I’m completely self-taught, you know.” She brags unabashedly. 

 

      He chuckles. “I don’t doubt it.” 

 

      She turns her face away coyly; keeping her head bowed to the floor. “What happened next? With Padmé and Anakin.” 

 

      “They married at some point, and Padmé became pregnant not long after that. But around that time Anakin began having nightmares; visions within the Force. He saw his future.” He pauses again; taking a deep breath. “I want you to understand that Vader didn’t start off as an evil man. He fell to the darkside because of fear. Fear makes people easy to manipulate.The story becomes very unclear after that, but it’s said that Padmé grew worried for her husband. She shared her fears with Obi-Wan.” 

 

      “And he tried to murder Anakin?” Rey gasps. 

 

      “I honestly don’t know.” Ben admits. “I know that they fought, and I know that my grandmother died under mysterious circumstances, but I don’t believe Anakin had anything to do with it. If he did, he wasn’t in his right mind.” He suddenly draws the parallel between himself and Vader. They never would have hurt the women they love if not for an evil master whispering into their ears. He quickly shakes the thought away. “Before my grandmother died, she have birth to Luke and Leia. Luke was sent away to Tatooine to live on a moisture farm with his uncle, and Leia was adopted by the King and Queen of Alderaan.” 

 

      “That’s why Threepio kept calling her princess.” Rey whispers; like a piece of the puzzle has finally fallen into place. She frowns again. He doesn’t like that look on her face, but he supposes that it’s more pensive than annoyed. She’s confused with all the new information she’s been given. “I still don’t get how that explains how Luke and Leia didn’t know.” She admits. And it’s not her fault. He’d been so focused on giving her the full story that he completely forgot why they even begun talking in the first place. 

 

      “To answer your question: no. It’s not because of something Vader did. He honestly didn’t know that his children had survived. After my grandmother died, he must have assumed that the children died with her.” It’s Ben’s turn to frown. “As for the other part, I don’t know. I think Luke knew that they were related before she did, but they both refused to talk about it. All that I know about their younger years is what Han told me from time to time.” 

 

      And they’ve finally reached the root of the problem; the rift that’s truly keeping them apart. She’d asked him once before, years ago, but he hadn’t had a good enough answer . 

 

      He doesn’t even realize she’s asked again until she brings him back into the moment with her touch. “Ben?” He nods. “Why did you kill your father? You told me once that you loved him, but I just… I don’t understand.” 

 

      “Truth be told, I don’t either.” And it’s finally out in the open. It’s the fact that he doesn’t  _ know  _ that’s been driving him insane. “It’s what Snoke told me to do.” 

 

      “That’s not a good enough reason to commit patricide.” She exclaims angrily with fire in her voice. 

 

      Ben sighs. “I know it’s not. And I’m not using it as an excuse.” He’s quick to add. “But…” 

 

      And then he falls silent. He can’t tell if it’s her heart or his own that’s beating so loudly, but it’s the only sound he can hear. Ben takes another deep breath; grief and sorrow grabbing ahold of his soul. “He was a disappointment. He was never there for me, not when I truly needed him. He just sent me away and expected Luke to deal with the problem.” She doesn’t need to see to know that his eyes are glassy with unshed tears. “And then the night at the temple happened, and we fled. Snoke had been in my head for years, whispering things to me since before I was even old enough to understand what he was saying.” 

 

      He counts his breaths; in and out steadily like a drum. 

 

      “It all happened so fast.” He murmurs; voice broken and wavering. He shakes his head and clears his throat. Now’s not the time for tears, he mentally chides himself. That will come later… “One moment I was Luke’s Padawan, and the next I was his enemy.” Ben turns to face her; determination written on his face. “I’m not ready to talk about it yet. About the time I spent under Snoke’s tutelage after Luke-” He chokes back a sob. 

 

      Rey reaches out for him; taking his hand within her smaller one. And then she reaches out with the Force, and finally feels attuned to him. Like a dam bursts, the floodgates open up and she can feel the Bond flare to life. 

 

      Ben feels it too; lost in the moment. She can feel his grief, as he can feel her anger, but compassion. “I’ll never be free of the past, I know this now.” He speaks quietly. “But I thought I could kill it. If I just got rid of Han, then my troubled past would die with him. It just made me more conflicted.” 

 

      “Oh, Ben.” 

 

      He shakes his head. “I don’t want you to pity me, Rey. I want you to understand that what I did, I did out of a misguided sense of spite and pettiness. I may not have hated my father, but I certainly didn’t like him much.” 

 

      And Rey finally realizes it. It was so obvious the entire time, but she’d just been too closed off and blind to actually  _ see  _ it. “Han always shoots first.” 

 

      Ben’s eyes are pried wide open; staring at her half-bandaged face. “What did you say?” 

 

      “It’s something Leia told me once.” Rey says. “That Han always shoots first.” She gasps. “That night on  _ Starkiller _ … you didn’t ignite your saber, did you? Han did.” 

 

_       Yes…  _ he can finally admit it without shame, and without fear. If he’d told her back then, she never would have believed it. “Yes, but the fact of the matter is that I still did it. I was part of it. I didn’t deal the final blow, but I certainly wasn’t innocent.” 

 

      She wraps her arms around him; bringing his face into the junction between her shoulder and neck. And she finally  _ understands _ everything. They don’t speak after that… they don’t need to. Rey just holds him tightly. She vows then to never let him go; no matter what. 

 

      The lessons gradually pick up after that. She admits sometimes when her muscles ache for days that she somewhat longs for the tranquility of their first lesson; when they’d done nothing but speak. It granted her a deeper understanding for the man she’s come to care very deeply for, if not love. 

 

      If Ben regrets telling her all those things, he doesn’t comment on it. There’s no need to dwell either way. 

 

      They decide to dedicate three days a week at first towards her training, and by the end of the third week of her stay Rey is completely exhausted. She’s retired to her chambers - which is technically  _ his _ \- and enjoys the quiet evening. Eventually it becomes too quiet and she decides to pick up a book on saber forms that Vanee let her take out of the library. Thankfully they’ve all been transcribed into audio files that she can listen to. 

 

      But she finds her concentration is easily broken over the next few hours whenever Ben enters the room. Sometimes it’s to retrieve his holopad, some clothes, or other personal items. Others he simply needs to go into his office, which he can only access through the door in the main chambers. Rey finds herself growing more annoyed each time. Eventually she can’t take it anymore. 

 

      “I can sleep in another room, Ben.” She sighs and silences the audio-book. 

 

      Ben just shakes his head with a smile. “Don’t worry about it, Rey. I’ll be fine.” 

 

      “No seriously.” She says. “I can find somewhere else to sleep if you want your chambers back.” 

 

      Once again he persists. “Like I said, I’m fine. Luke’s room is actually pretty comfortable.” Lies… it’s awful. He doesn’t like being reminded of his uncle and old Jedi master whenever he enters those chambers. But he’ll endure it for her. Just so that she’ll be comfortable. 

 

      “And I’m telling you I won’t stand for it.” Rey exclaims. “It’s bad enough that I’m imposing! I’m not taking over your entire life, Ben.” 

 

      “You already have.” He mutters under his breath. 

 

      Underneath her bandages she cocks her brow. “I’m blind, not deaf.” She states wryly. “That’s the upside of not being able to see. My hearing is ten times better. Don’t you forget it, Ben Solo.” 

 

      “I didn’t mean it as an insult.” He says. She looks unconvinced that he’s telling the whole truth, though. With a sigh he gives in. “Alright… it’s not  _ that  _ comfortable, but I can manage until you’re well. Then I’ll move back in.” 

 

      “Fine.” She concedes. “I just hope that my own room will have a bed this comfortable.” She says and falls into the soft bedding. 

 

      It stings slightly; knowing that she still hasn’t given him an answer. Every day he grows more restless, just waiting around to see if she’ll agree to be his. “You can pick it out yourself.” Ben says eventually with a sad smile. “I’ll tell Vanee to send you some samples from the stores.” 

 

      “Nah. I think I’ll just take yours.” Rey teases. 

 

      “Oh, yeah?” He snorts. “And where would I sleep? The floor?” 

 

      Rey starts playing with the bedding; wrinkling it up in her hand as she swallows deeply. The playful mood is gone. “Well… no. I was thinking, maybe, if you want to that is, I don’t know…  _ share  _ it with me?” She bites her lip shyly. 

 

      And Ben is ecstatic. It’s a step further towards making up her mind. “I’d… I’d like that a lot actually.” He admits. “But I don’t think moving it would be practical.” He thinks it over before he speaks again. “And besides,  _ friends  _ don’t share beds like that.” 

 

      Rey blushes. “Well, no… but I figured it would be a good start towards something more.” She says; quickly changing the subject. “And no, it wouldn’t be practical to move it. Which is why it’ll stay right here. We could share this room, too. If you’d have me.” She adds hastily. 

 

      Ben takes three steps forward and reaches the bed. Then he proceeds to lie down beside her; stroking her face gently. “There’s no way I could send you away, Rey. Not a snowball’s chance in Hell.” 

 

      And truthfully, he never could. 

 

* * *

 

      The doctor removes Rey’s bandages four weeks after her arrival on the dot. She shies away from the bright lights instantly, which the old woman assures them both is a good sign. It means that her eyes have recovered. When she finally opens them, they’re the deep brown and green mix that he remembers. The cloaking device must have stopped working, he surmises. 

 

      Rey blinks rapidly for a few moments before slowing down to a regular interval. The first thing she sees is Ben, and his happy expression. He’s smiling at her, and that’s when she notices. 

 

      “You have dimples.” She blurts out. 

 

      He chuckles. “Yes.” And the smile grows wider. His fingers trail down her cheek, landing underneath her chin and tilting it upwards. “And you have the most gorgeous eyes I’ve ever seen.” 

 

      Before she can respond Helia bursts through the doors; angrier than either of them have ever seen. In her hand she’s clutching a holopad with the First Order’s news-network’s homepage open. “You won’t believe what just happened!” She bristles. 

 

      “What?” Ben asks and slips into full Emperor mode as Rey likes to call it. 

 

      “The Resistance, that’s what.” She hands him the holopad to read, and at the end his gleeful exterior has changed into a grim and angered one. 

 

      “And you’re certain about this?” He hisses through gritted teeth. “Are you one hundred percent sure that they did it?” 

 

      Helia nods. “Beyond a shadow of a doubt.” 

 

      “What is it?” Rey asks. Ben shakes his head. “Ben? What happened?” She asks; pressing the issue further. 

 

      “They killed him.” He says cryptically, barely able to keep the tears out of his eyes. 

 

      “Killed who?” Rey asks. 

 

      “Chewie.” 

 

      The last time she’d seen Chewbacca, her words had been in anger; spoken hastily from the cockpit of Poe’s stolen X-wing. And how sorely she regrets it now. She’d always assumed that she’d see the old Wookie again, but that’s what one always believes. That the last meeting truly won’t be the last. Until it is, and the final moment has come. 

 

      Rey cries for hours in shame and regret, but Ben keeps it together surprisingly well; holding her against his chest. This was supposed to be a day of happiness… instead it turns to instant grief and mourning. When she’s cried all the tears she can, Ben takes his leave promising to return later. It’s another two days before she sees him again. 

 

      Vanee informed her on the first day that the master had taken his ship and flown away; not saying where he was going. It had worried her immensely, but not as much as sleeping alone; not after nearly a week of getting used to sharing with Ben. That night she’d tossed and turned into the wee hours of morning, when she’d walked out of her and Ben’s quarters and headed straight for the training-room. She lets her mind go blank, until all the energy has burned out of her like a flame and she falls back into the bed; finally succumbing to unconsciousness.  

 

      When she’d woken the next day Ben had been standing over her; stroking her hair gently. “Hey, Sweetheart. I’m sorry.” 

 

      “It’s okay.” She’d said, pulling him into a tight embrace. “Where were you? I was worried sick.” She admits. 

 

      “Kashyyyk. I had to tell his family.” 

 

      Rey lets go of him and sits up straight. “And how are you? You look a little pale.” Rey strokes his cheek affectionately; like a mother would. Ben instantly leans into the touch. 

 

      “I don’t know.” He admits. And he really doesn’t. On one hand he and Chewie hadn’t been close for a long time, and on another the wookie had been family at one point. It’s hard to let go.

 

      “It’s okay to not know, Ben.” She knows just the right things to say, he thinks to himself. And for a moment it’s like the grief has completely washed away, and salvation comes from the softness of her caress. Maybe if he stays like this forever he can forget all about the tragedies of his life. His father, his mother, his uncles, and his friends. 

 

      But eventually he has to move. He can’t stay frozen in this moment forever. 

 

      Ben rises to his feet, kisses the crown of her head, and disappears into the darkness of his office. The door doesn’t open again until late afternoon. 

 

      The first thing he does is write a eulogy for Chewie’s funeral, like Ben had promised Chewbacca’s sister he would. It’s filled with tales from the past, rather than the present seeing as how their relationship was strained towards the end. It ends up being two pages long with stories from Ben’s childhood and his praise of Chewie as a father figure when Han hadn’t been there. 

 

      The second thing to happen is that Ben contacts the top brass of the First Order to deal with the eventual fallout. Even if the Resistance technically killed one of their own, Ben won’t stand to let it slide. He adds it to Poe’s growing list of crimes that Ben will read to him when he’s apprehended. And when Ben passes the sentence, he’ll be the one to swing the sword. He’s also in a conference call with the King and Queen of Kashyyyk to prevent a war from breaking out. He’s mournful, but also very clear: no one is to take matters into their own hands. He  _ will  _ deal with this, he promises them. 

 

      Around midday he takes a quick nap. He’d been flying for almost an entire day completely uninterrupted, stayed a couple of hours on Kashyyyk and then went straight back into his shuttle. He hadn’t slept more than twenty minutes, tops. He wakes up two hours later, feeling a little bit more refreshed. 

 

      The last thing he does before exiting his office is send the news to Maz, who has - of course - already heard. But he still feels like he owes her for everything. The Pirate Queen gives him a small, but sad, smile over the hologram. If only he could reach out, envelope the much smaller woman in his arms, and cry out his apologies he would. But Maz is incredibly understanding through it all. She just shakes her head and explains that Chewie’s lived a good life up till the end. The last words she says to him is: “Don’t remember his life with sorrow, Ben Solo. Remember the good times with joy.” And he does. 

 

      Rey and the rest of the Knights are sitting by the dinner-table by the time Ben re-emerges from his dimmed office. Vanee has just finished serving the food when the Emperor stalks into the hall with heavy steps. He places a chaste kiss on Rey’s forehead, steps past her, and takes a seat at the head of the table. 

 

      It’s apparent that the news have struck hard with the Knights as well. Even though they didn’t know Chewie that well - and in fact some had only met him once when he and Han had dropped off Ben at the temple - but they share his pain. They can feel the sorrow and regret through the Force, and they too mourn for the passing of a dear friend as though they knew him closely. 

 

      Willow raises her glass of wine. “To Chewbacca.” 

 

      “To Chewbacca.” The rest of them chime in with their own cups.  

 

* * *

 

      “What are we?” He hadn’t mean to just blurt it out like that. It hasn’t even been a week since Chewie’s death, and he’s already thinking towards the future. Ben feels like he’s sullying his uncle’s memory, but he remembers Maz’s words. 

 

      Rey looks at him with a puzzled expression. “What do you mean?” 

 

      Oh Force, somebody smite him. He’s never felt more embarrassed than in this moment “I mean have you made your decision yet? About us being more than friends?” 

 

      Rey considers his words for a few moments before giving her answer. “I have.” 

 

      “And?” He asks with great anticipation. 

 

      She takes a shaky breath. “I’ve decided that I want to know the results of our DNA-test before I tell you.” 

 

      Ben reaches over to his holopad and digs around until he finds what he’s looking for. “I got it a few hours ago, actually. It came back negative.” 

 

      “Which means?” She asks, taking the holopad out of his hand. 

 

      “That we’re not blood-kin.” He says. “I didn’t know how to bring it up.” 

 

      She smiles warmly at him. “Well, as for my answer.” He holds his breath. “I  _ guess  _ we could give it a try if you’re still interested.” She says with a wicked grin. This woman will be a death of him, he thinks as he closes the distance between them;  _ finally  _ capturing her elusive lips with his own. 

 

      His hands come up to cup her face, and he swears that he can feel her knees buckle. Rey’s own hands sink themselves into his hair as she starts dragging her nails against his scalp. Ben moans loudly, almost embarrassingly so. 

 

      Rey’s tongue darts out of her mouth; pressing itself against his lips, and he’s a goner. From this day and onwards, he will do everything in his power to keep them like this. He’ll cherish her until his last dying breath. 

 

      He doesn’t know how they end up on the bed. He can’t recall the exact moment they’d stumbled backwards, or who had initiated it. All Ben knows is soon her patience wears thin, and her hands yank at the edge of his shirt. He lets her pull it over his head, and it lands with a soft thud beside the bed. 

 

      Her eyes go comically wide as she stares at his chest, and he’s filled with an inexplicable sense of pride. She desires him, that much is apparent by the look in her eyes. Her fingers dances the edges of every scar she can find; from the one she’d given him that trails down from his face all the way past his collar bone, to the one he’d gotten from falling out of a tree at age five. 

 

      Rey lays halfway on top of him at this point; taking her lip between her teeth as her look goes from awed to that of sheer and utter concentration. It’s like she’s solving a puzzle on his torso, and he lets her. His left arm comes around her body; landing at her back where he draws small, steady circles. 

 

      Eventually she looks up into his eyes, pupils blown wide and mouth slightly agape. “You’re beautiful.” 

 

      Never in his life has anyone called him that except for his mother. And Ben falls even harder for Rey than he ever thought possible. She sees past his ugly scars and haunted memories, and looks underneath it all. It’s like she can see his very soul. 

 

      The thought alone makes him harden in his trousers. 

 

      His hands entangle with her soft, brown locks. He kisses her rosey lips sweetly, until the passion burns deeper and more feverish. 

 

      Rey straddles his hips without breaking the kiss. They lay like that for a few minutes, lost in each other’s mouths until she breaks away for air. She crawls out of her lovely dress until she’s left in just her undergarments. His breath hitches, and Ben has to swallow to rid his throat of a lump. He can barely even breathe while seeing her like this. Her round breasts, her flat stomach, and the small patch wetness visible through her lace underwear. 

 

      They don’t speak as the last of their clothes disappear. Only when they’re fully naked, and she’s aligned herself perfectly with his member, does she let out a small. “Tell me you want this.” 

 

      To which he replies. “I can never stop wanting this.” 

 

      And then she sinks down, and Ben is lost in the throes of lust and passion. 

 

      They lay silently next to each other afterwards, Rey resuming her task of finding and tracing every scar on his body. He can hear her pondering over how they came to be, and he answers truthfully. The one on his arm from a practice saber from Luke’s temple at age eleven. Another one on his rib from failing to stop a blaster in time just months ago. Some smaller ones he’s long since forgotten he has. 

 

      She’s resting her head against his shoulder; breath fanning out against his exposed neck. The sweet caresses don’t stop; both unable to keep their hands of each other. In turn he inquires about the scars he finds. Some are wicked and grim, while others are barely visible. 

 

      The first one he asks about comes from a scavenging trip gone wrong. She’d taken a fifteen-foot fall and landed awkwardly on her side. The next one isn’t so mild. It’s from a cut she’d received running from Unkar after his alcohol induced rage had led him to believe that Rey was a thief; stealing all his supplies. He’d tossed a bottle at her, and the wound had become infected. She’d almost died. She hadn’t been able to scavenge for a week afterwards, and her emergency rations had been depleted on day three. By some grace of the Force she’d recovered just in time for a ship to crash-land not two clicks away from her AT-AT. The haul from the ship had been enough to feed her for two weeks to come. It had been the most leisure filled days she’d ever experienced. Ben’s eyes land on a scar on her collarbone that she refuses to talk about. He knows it can only mean one thing: Jyiren had been the one to put it there. 

 

      That crooked monster will get what’s coming to him, he promises her. Soon enough he’ll be dead. And Rey will finally be free of the demons that haunt her at night. She doesn’t think he knows about the terrors, but he does. He wakes every night and soothes her back into a deep slumber; all without her realizing it. 

 

      He doesn’t admit to it, though. That’ll come in due time. For now they can just lie there, without a care in the world, and enjoy each other’s company. For who could ask for anything more? 

 

**[END OF PART THREE]**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _**What’s with that “smut”, huh? It wasn’t even graphic.** _
> 
> It was graphic enough!  
> 
> _**Uh-huh. And what about everything else that sucks?** _
> 
> *groans unsexily in frustration* Can you just lay off my back for five minutes, brain? I know that it’s not how you envisioned it, but it’s what I’m going with, okay?
> 
> _**… Alright.** _
> 
> Good.
> 
> _***Silence*** _
> 
> _**And what about the fact that there’s thirty-eight pages in this chapter?** _
> 
> *Groans louder* Fuck _off_ …  
>  


	4. Liberty [Spring] [Act I]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter five might take a little while, considering I haven't even started writing it, but please be patient. ;)

 

**_Psalm 2:3_ **

**_They say, "Let's break the chains that hold us back and throw off the ropes that tie us down."_ **

  
  


      It’s an age old tradition that a bride be presented to the groom on the wedding day by her father. The wedding preparations have been in full swing since the time the snow melted away on Coruscant and the first flowers sprung to life. But there are still problems to work out, namely who gives her away at their wedding. And on top of that there’s her coronation that’s said to take place the day after their honeymoon ends. 

 

      But whenever he asks her about it; asking if she’s nervous or having doubts she just shakes her head. He’s not even sure if she knows what to expect. They’ve done everything else: kissed, proclaimed their love loudly, passionately, and vigorously between the sheets many times over, and screamed it to each other like there’s no tomorrow. 

 

      But that still doesn’t tell him what her expectations are of the wedding itself, or the marriage. She’d told him once after a particularly invigorating round of sex that marriages on Jakku were different. But different how she never explained. She’d fallen asleep not long after that, and he didn’t have the heart to wake her and ask her about it. 

 

      And it’s then he comes up with the perfect wedding gift; something which she’s always wanted. Ben wants to at least  _ try  _ to find out as much about her parents as he can. That means going to Jakku and asking a certain former junk-boss of Niima Outpost which has very conspicuously disappeared into thin air. 

 

      Which means he just has to find out about it on his  _ own _ . And that sucks…  _ royally  _ sucks. Because he doesn’t want to lie to her, but at the same time he wants it to be a genuine surprise when he presents her with the truth; no matter how grim it is. Because that’s all she truly desires, in her heart: answers. 

 

      He doesn’t get the perfect opportunity until Finn returns from Coruscant from another diplomatic mission, and he comes back to Mustafar three days ahead of schedule. With someone to keep Rey company, he can finally tell her that he’s planning on leaving for a short while. 

 

      He brings it up while they’re soaking in the luxurious tub that’s lowered into the floor. He sips on his wine casually as he leans back into the backrest; humming as he lets the bubbles soak into his skin and pop one by one. Rey is seated next to him, with her own glass of plum-juice - because she absolutely refuses to touch anything with alcohol in it - and sighs with content. Ben is extremely hesitant to speak at first, but eventually he realizes that he can’t put it off for any longer. He’s already ordered his men to be ready and have the shuttle primed by six tomorrow morning. And although he loves procrastinating, he realizes that he needs to act  now. 

 

      “I’ll be leaving tomorrow.” He blurts out, realizing that she might misunderstand and interpret it as leaving for good. “I should be back in a couple of days.” He feels her relax against his side. Her face though is another tale entirely. It’s saddened by his confession. 

 

      “Oh… how long will you be gone?” She asks, suddenly a little more hopeful. 

 

      “It shouldn’t be more than a couple of days, a week tops.” He promises, knowing full well that it might be even longer than that. But he doesn’t want to worry her unnecessarily. And he’s already given Helia and Finn the lay of the land and sworn them both to secrecy. Finn had been reluctant - of course he’d been… he wasn’t really  _ Ben’s  _ friend after all - but after reminding the former trooper that Kylo, as the Emperor, still has all the power in the galaxy to put him behind bars, Finn relents and reluctantly agrees.

 

      He turns back to his beloved, who nods slowly; deep in thought. “I could, maybe go with?” She asks in that sweet, hopeful tone of his that almost breaks his heart. He kisses her temple, pulls her in close, and shakes his head. 

 

      “Not this time, Sweetheart. But I promise that I’ll return to you. You have my word.” 

 

      They don’t speak more on the subject. It’s practically moot at this point anyway. He’s said what he needs to, but in many regards he’d failed to convey it properly. Ben still can’t prevent the look of disappointment and abandonment from reaching her face. The sweet little button nose that scrunches up as she sniffles, or the chestnut brown eyes that grow redder and redder with each passing second.

 

      And he hates every second of watching her cry. 

 

      He takes her to bed that night, hoping to make things right between them. And failing that at least a little more bearable. But the look of pain and betrayal is still on her face as she sleeps when he gets up to go that morning. 

 

      Oh how he wishes that he was a little more compassionate; a little less insensitive. But he truly doesn’t know how to turn this distant cold between them into passionate warmth. For her he’d do anything. She who sets his mind and body aflame, she who touches him as though he’s not the monster he knows he is, she whose soul dances with his own. Now it’s like they’re virtual strangers to each other. 

 

      He knows that it’s not forever. He’d promised her he’d return soon after all. But it still stings to see her like that. Ben doesn’t even bother with a goodbye; feeling like he hasn’t earned one. Which, of course, only serves to make her a hundred times more broken. 

 

      Rey truly believes that he is leaving for good. He takes one last look on her sleeping face, and hurries off towards the shuttle. What he doesn’t realize is her tear-filled eyes watching every step he takes as he walks away. 

 

* * *

 

      His first stop is Niima Outpost, seeing as how these people have certainly known Rey the longest. Willow and Lin meet him as he disembarks his Upsilon class shuttle with a sense of grace that the people of Jakku rarely see in these parts. Mostly it’s fellow only scavengers, lowlifes, criminals, thugs, reavers, pirates, smugglers, and Force knows what else. 

 

      But today the Emperor decides to grace the small outpost with his presence, and a plethora of questions he needs answered. The first one flies out of his mouth before he can even comprehend that he’s spoken. “Have either of you managed to locate Plutt yet?” He asks his two Knights. 

 

      They both shake their heads. Willow leads him towards one of the newly constructed  bars that doubles down as a restaurant during the hotter hours of the days, where nearly every soul in the outpost is shuffled into the same cramped space for a decent meal or a refreshing beverage. 

 

      Willow orders them some appetizers, made up of some fruits, cheeses, and meats, as well as some water. She wipes the sweat off her brow and shakes her head. “If I’d known Jakku would have been this hot, I never would have signed up for this job.” 

 

      Ben chuckles while leaning back against the smooth cushions of the booth. “You’ve been here before. You knew how hot it could get when agreed to do this.” 

 

      She grunts and bangs her forehead against the table; which ironically enough is also inexplicably warm. “Yeah, but I forgot. Between focusing on finding Rey and keeping the sand out of my boots, I didn’t give a single thought to the weather, Benny.” She complains. 

 

      Lin strokes his wife’s back lovingly. “I don’t know what to tell you, Ginny.” Ben says. “It’s Jakku. Rey tells me that sometimes during the summer months even some of the metal melts under the sun. She says that scavenging can be particularly challenging during those times. You never know if your next step will be your last.” 

 

      “Yowza.” Willow exclaims; sitting up straight while whisking some orion-blonde locks away from her eyes. It sticks to her forehead instead. “And to answer your question, no. We haven’t been able to locate Plutt yet. We sent Miraak and Malen out to the Goazon badlands. Apparently there’s nothing but desert for miles out there, but Malen said there might have been an outpost near Kelvin Ridge at some point. Wherever the Hell that is.” She murmurs; almost squealing in delight as their iced drinks arrive. Ben takes a sip of his, and turns to the waitress; a young woman in her late teens. 

 

      “What is this?” He asks cautiously; realizing that it’s not transparent like water usually is. It’s sweet, almost enough to make his ears curl into themselves. 

 

      “It’s ice-tea, your excellency. It was made this morning.” She says with courage in her heart, but fear in her eyes. “I hope that will suffice?” 

 

      He takes another sip. “Yes. It’ll do just fine, miss.” He pauses for a moment before an idea pops into his head. “Did you make this yourself?” 

 

      “Y-yes, your highness. I did. Is something wrong?” 

 

      Ben shakes his head. “Not at all. I wanted to ask if you might be so kind as to make some more. Perhaps send it off to my castle?” 

 

      At this the waitress’s entire face shines in delight. “Of course, I would be honored, your highness. How much would you like?” 

 

      “Ten pints. Make sure to send it with these two-” He points to his Knights “-by tomorrow morning at the latest.” The waitress practically skips off behind the counter, promising to check on their meal momentarily. Lin and Willow send him a puzzled look. “For Rey.” Ben explains. 

 

      Willow nods. “I understood that. What I don’t understand is why we’re going back to the castle.” 

 

      Ben shakes his head again. “You’re not. You’re merely dropping it off. Then I want you to join Mei Ren in the search for the Resistance. I don’t want a single one of those zealots alive by the time Rey and I walk down the aisle.” Thus far Mei had been gone for almost four months looking for a small trace of the Rebels without any luck. It was time to finally send some of those reinforcements he’s been begging for. 

 

      When Finn had first been captured, he’d told the Emperor everything he knew about the Resistance. That included their location in a bunker near Canto Bight. Sadly when the First Order got there, they’d already fled. A thick layer of dust told them that the Rebels hadn’t been there for quite some time. Likely Finn’s success in evading them spooked Poe into taking flight. 

 

      It’s only a matter of time before Ben squeezes the life out of him with his own, bare hands. “And when you get to Mustafar, don’t tell Rey you met me. I want all of this to be a surprise.” 

 

      “But why?” Lin asks. “Why keep secrets from your wife-to-be?” 

 

      Willow nods in agreement. And Ben has no choice but to explain. “It’s a wedding gift. I intend on finding out as much as possible about Rey’s parents before the week is up. That way she can have some closure, and finally begin to heal properly.” 

 

      “You know what they say: happy wife, happy life.” Willow just says in response.

 

      Ben chuckles quietly. “I can agree with that.” And then he remembers the dejected look on Rey’s features as he’d told her he was leaving. He can’t help but to frown slightly; concentration completely scattered in the wind. But he manages to get some useful information out of his Knights regarding the work they’ve been doing on Jakku for the past months. 

 

      Apparently the greenhouse is coming along nicely with only two more weeks of construction before its grand opening. In the true spirit of giving the locals a chance they’d employed every able-bodied man and woman near the outpost for construction work. It turned out to be a huge success, and soon enough no one would have to go hungry again. With the ability to grow their own food, and sustain themselves, Jakku would become independent within the next twenty years. Soon enough the wasteland would be turned into a flourishing utopia. 

 

      Though it’s not all sunshines and daisies, Willow explains. They’re still in need of major resources, none of which can be found on Jakku. They’ve hired scavengers to take apart the metal from crashed ships so it can be smelted down and turned into beams for the greenhouse, and sand to make glass is something which the planet has in abundance, but fertile soil and seeds are not amongst that. So they have to import, and thanks to the First Order’s heavy sanctions and regulations, it’s been nigh on impossible to import foreign soil and flora. Ben promises to hold a meeting with the higher ups the moment he returns to Mustafar. 

 

      They talk until the sun dips below the horizon, and soon enough the rowdy scavengers of the outpost are knee-deep into their bottles. People from all walks of life enter the bar, but some are turned away. Those who are deemed too young are asked to stay outside and not consume any of the alcoholic beverages. Rey had been subjected to sights like these from a young age… he doesn’t want to be part in letting it happen to another one. 

 

      He glances around the bar, keeping his ear trained on anything that might sound suspicious or threatening. It’s a habit since Snoke’s time he’s been unable to break. Around every corner there’s an enemy, and every little sound sends him on high alert. 

 

      He trains his ears to focus on a group sitting in the corner made up of men in red armor; no doubt bounty hunters taking the night off. They’re local to Jakku, that much is apparent by their sun streaked hair, burnt faces, airy clothes, and canteens dangling from their sides. Three men, strong and able, who’re on a hunt. 

 

      He listens in on their conversation, tuning out everything else. “-because you’re talking out of your ass, Mikkeh.” One of the larger ones says to the brunet sitting in the furthest corner. He’s just a lowly henchman, as evident by his lack of gusto and vigor. Ben doesn’t doubt that a sand rat would scare this one off; barely out of his teens with a fresh, child-like face. “Things have gotten  _ a lot  _ better under Kylo Ren’s leadership than they ever were with the Republic.” 

 

      “Yeah, and what about free speech, freedom of the press, and everything else they’ve repressed so far? I’ve half a mind to join up with the Resistance!” He laments. That’s cause for concern. If his subjects are unhappy, then chances are a revolt isn’t far away. 

 

      “Shut your damn mouth, Mikkeh.” The third man says hardly. “You don’t know of what you speak,  _ boy.  _ Have you no brain between those ears of yours?” He chides. “And besides, none of that is true. You’re still allowed to say, think, and post what you want. But speaking of outright rebellion is considered treason. Your opinions are your own. In my opinion politics means nothing to us. So long as we get paid, you don’t complain. Understood?” 

 

      “But are we just supposed to take this all lying down?” He cries out a little louder than before. 

 

      “Yes, we are. Emperor Ren and his government pay handsomely for our services. And besides, it’s better to have him sitting on the throne than that madman Snoke and his rabid cur barking into his ear.”  _ Hux _ . They’re most definitively talking about Hux. 

 

      “Have you made contact with Plutt yet?” The first man asks, changing the subject. And thank the Force Ben chose to listen in. If Plutt is their employer, they must know where he is. 

 

      Mikkeh shakes his head; taking a sip of his Corellian whiskey. “No. Word is he’s been gone for the better part of a week. And there are rumors that the Knights of Ren are skulking around.” Just as he utters those words, Ben meets his eyes. The young man instantly grows rigid and tense; spluttering loudly as the drink goes down the wrong pipe. 

 

      But Ben ignores them from that point onward. They have no more information than he does at this point. So all there’s left to do is just sit and wait until Malen and Miraak make contact. He boards his shuttle, and falls right asleep in the crew quarters. 

 

      The next morning Malen wakes him at the crack of dawn, dragging a half unconscious, badly bruised, Unkar Plutt behind him. The Knight throws him down by the edge of Ben’s bed; waiting for the Emperor to rise from his slumber. 

 

      “Malen.” He says in a stern tone of voice. “I see that you were successful.” 

 

      He nods. “It wasn’t that hard once I knew where to look.” 

 

      Ben rubs the sleep out of his eyes quickly. “I can see that.”

 

      The Emperor gets out of bed and hurries off into the ‘fresher. With a little luck he can manage a quick shower before Malen’s roused Plutt enough to talk. Ben emerges from the fresher three minutes later; fully dressed and ready to begin the interrogation. 

 

      Malen’s already placed Unkar on one of the benches against the wall, while sticking bacta patches to his face. Ben motions towards the wounds with a lifted brow. “Your work?” 

 

      He snorts. “Oh, please, give me some credit, master. I would never do something as shoddy as this.” 

 

      He turns to Plutt. “If not my Knight, then who?” 

 

      Unkar sniffles pathetically. “It’s been awful since you took away my trading stall. I’ve been assaulted twice, spat at, stalked, and pursued through the desert by your Knights. I’ve lost everything thanks to you.” His words grow spiteful, and his tone follows suit. He’s not a happy man. 

 

      “It’s called karma.” Ben just states. Then he moves on to more pressing matters. “Tell you what? I’ll give you a job somewhere else, virtually anywhere you desire. It’s clear that you want off this planet.” Unkar nods. “If you cooperate, I can make it happen. But know that if you go back to your schemes, all bets are off.” 

 

      “You’ll kill me?” He asks; snot running down his face. 

 

      “No.” Ben shakes his head. “I’ll hand you over to Rey. She’ll decide what to do with you.” Unkar quickly changes his mind about being spiteful and all but falls over his feet to do Ben’s bidding. “Stop slobbering, Plutt.” Ben tells him in a firm tone. “I just have some questions… that’s all.” 

 

      “Ask away,” The crolute says. “Anything you want to know.” 

 

      “Very well.” Ben replies. “I want you to tell me about the people who sold Rey. Were they her parents?” 

 

      Plutt nods. “Castor and Nilia Avalor.” 

 

      Ben considers the names for a while. They’re eerily familiar, like he’s heard them before somewhere. Malen’s eyes are wide with realization. “Do you know them?” Ben asks his Knight. 

 

      “They were spice-dealers.” Unkar chimes in with. 

 

      “Yes, but before that they were something else,” Ben says hesitantly. “Weren’t they?” 

 

      Plutt begins squirming in his seat; unwilling to share more. “All I know them as was spice-dealers.” 

 

      “But they were more than that.  _ Weren’t they. _ ” Ben says more insistently.

 

      Plutt nods; admitting to that much at least. “Yes. They were important. Before their fall.” 

 

      “What do you mean, their fall?” Ben asks with anger in his voice. “ _ Plutt _ … we had a deal. Remember, all bets are off if you don’t tell me what I want to know.” 

 

      “The Avalor’s owned a powerful business empire once.” Malen breaks the silence. “They had most of their business located on Coruscant, but their main base was on Corellia. Their entire family lived there until-” He grows silent and distant; almost eerily so. 

 

      “Until  _ what _ ? What happened?” 

 

      “Until Han Solo destroyed them.” 

 

      It’s like all the air has been sucked out of the shuttle; leaving only an unsettling vacuum that seems to drag him in. “What do you mean by that?” 

 

      He stumbles over her words, until finally the silence becomes too unbearable. “I mean that Han Solo brought down their little empire. I don’t know the exact details; just that Han and his gang stole something precious from the Avalor’s. Something which made them weak and vulnerable.” 

 

      “What did he steal?” Ben asks, desperate to know. At the same time he’s done making excuses for his father’s past. 

 

      “What do you think?” Malen asks with sarcasm brimming his voice. “Their money. He and his gang stole millions of credits from their accounts. And then they lost it all over some gambling debt.” Ben knew that his father wasn’t the cleanest of whistles, but to hear the extent of his sins… it’s simply too much to bear. “The Avalor’s fled before they could sink further. They say Castor’s father died from a broken heart over seeing his family shatter. But really he died of shame.” He states haughtily. “And they never really recovered. Not in a way that mattered. Castor and Neilia disappeared shortly thereafter.” 

 

      Plutt confirms it with a nod. “They sold their daughter to me for a few measly credits and a shuttle. I don’t think they even made it off the planet.” 

 

      “How can you be sure?” Ben asks. 

 

      “The ship was found by a few of my scavengers a week later. I didn’t see the shuttle itself, but I’d never forget the parts and the wiring in it. I designed and built it myself. There was no doubt in my mind.” 

 

      “And the bodies?” Ben inquires. Plutt shakes his head. “And what about Rey?” 

 

      “What about her?” He asks, befuddled. “She’s with you, isn’t she?” 

 

      “No, I meant she wasn't always Rey. Was she? She was named something else.” 

 

      Unkar shakes his head. “They never gave me a name. Just the girl…” 

 

* * *

 

      Rey stares off into the distance. The outside world of Mustafar is alive with movement. And at the same time it’s not. Nothing grows out there, the sun doesn’t even peek through the heavy, black clouds. It always looks like it’s about to rain, even though she knows it never does. 

 

      And for a moment everything is still; like her sour mood has struck fear into the planet that lays dormant, waiting with a bated breath for an explosion of some kind. Mostly regret, for not telling him goodbye, but also anger that he hadn’t done the same. Ben hadn’t even turned back to look at her when he’d left… he’d just kept on walking out the door. The entire planet is bristling with static energy, cautiously dormant until it’s time to strike. 

 

_       Tense _ … yes, that’s what it was. Everything is crackling with unused energy, patiently waiting for  _ something  _ to ignite a flame. She could just set the curtains on fire; it’s not like she hasn’t considered it just to get  _ some  _ sort of reaction, but she doesn’t want to add to Vanee’s workload. The old man is a surprisingly good companion with many stories about the old times, before she’d even been born. But also new ones about Ben and his Knights. 

 

      But Rey still doesn’t know much about his past. Just that his parents had sent him off to train with Luke, and that some of the Knights were with him at the temple, and of course the night it burned. But apart from that she can’t tell where Luke’s training ends and Snoke begins. 

 

      With so much time on her hands she’s spent many hours hunched over holocrons and books; researching the Sith and Jedi alike. Eventually words bleed together and she can’t take it anymore. But she does come to the conclusion that she hates both equally, which is probably something Ben will be happy about. It is said that only Siths deal in absolutes, but Rey’s not so sure anymore. Both work towards the extremes, and she can’t see any benevolence and righteousness in either. 

 

      So she’s abandoned her time in the library for now, choosing instead to focus on wedding preparations and staring awkwardly off into space for hours on end with a cup of tea in hand. The former is tedious work, while the latter is just plain boring. Rey wishes for her fiance to return to the castle. She misses him more than words can describe. 

 

      Finn and Helia are great, but they’re not Ben. 

 

      Some days she spends entirely in the training rooms, working on her saber forms, her strength, but most of all her endurance. Rey tries every pose imaginable: keeping herself upright with nothing but her fingers and the Force, trying the same with the tips of her toes, curling into herself like one of those delicious pastries she tried the other day on Vanee’s insistence - a pretzel, she recalls its name - and keeping herself suspended mid-air like a floating rock. It works, up until she hears Finn scream from the doorway in surprise; at which point all of her concentration flies out the window like a fly. 

 

      It’s nigh on impossible to train without Ben, Rey realizes after many failed tries. He’d correct her stances, and chide her with a playful grin about her posture, and even tell her how to  _ breathe  _ properly.  _ Like she hasn’t been doing that for the past twenty-two years without failing.  _

 

      But most of all she finds herself annoyed. And none of the people in the castle is of much help when it comes to that. 

 

      Vanee instructs her to meditate, to drink some tea, and take a long bath with sudsy bubbles and soothing oils. It’s not that she doesn’t take his advice, it’s simply that it does not work the way it was intended. Instead of letting her thoughts stray  _ away  _ from Ben, they’re instantly  _ of him  _ instead. How they’d meditate together; drink their afternoon tea in each other’s company; of how they’d soak in the tub for hours until their skin pruned and the water turns cold. 

 

      She turns to Finn, whose council is always appreciated. But his guess is as good as hers. Whenever he’d grown frustrated with Poe during the past few years, he’d walk through the gardens of Cantonia base or talk to Chewie. While there are indoor gardens in the Castle of Mustafar, Chewbacca is long since gone. It’s been months since his burial… 

 

      That just leaves Helia. 

 

      Rey sits her down one afternoon in front of the large viewport window overlooking the landing-pad and waits for the woman’s assessment. Helia studies her closely, letting her eyes roam up and down Rey’s seated body. Rey’s tense, far more than usual. 

 

      Arianna snaps her fingers together; making a crackling sound. “I know what it is. You miss him.” 

 

      “You don’t say?” Rey mutters sarcastically. She lets her body relax, leans back into the chair, and takes a sip of the Chandrillian afternoon caf. It’s surprisingly soft against her tongue. 

 

      Helia chuckles and mimics Rey’s motion with her own cup. “What I meant to say is that you miss more than just his _presence_ within the castle.” 

 

      “I don’t even know what that means!” Rey exclaims in frustration, almost knocking over her chair as she rises abruptly. “I  _ know  _ that I miss him, I just don’t know what to do.” She complains. 

 

      “You miss him in your bed, Rey.” The older woman gives her a knowing look and a playful smirk. “Your body has grown accustomed to a certain…  _ treatment _ , if you catch my meaning.” 

 

      “Oh?” Rey says. And then it occurs to her exactly what Ari’s referring to. “Oh!  _ Oh…  _ you mean his _treatment_.” And she can’t bring herself to deny it, mostly because it’s true, but also because she has no energy left to disagree. Over the months she’s been here Ben and her have spent almost every night wrapped up in each other’s bodies. 

 

      “Simply put, you’re sexually frustrated.” Helia chuckles. “Unfortunately I’ve been there myself. I used to have a lover back on Coruscant before Ben called us all here a few years ago.” 

 

      “Was this when Snoke was alive?” Rey resumes her seat by the small table. 

 

      Ari nods; glancing out the window. “That it was.” Her expression goes forlorn, like the Knight is hiding something. 

 

      That brings too many questions to Rey’s mind. But mostly there’s one that’s always been in the forefront of her thoughts. “Tell me about your time after Luke.” She blurts out before she can stop herself. 

 

      Helia turns to face her. “What do you want to know?” 

 

      “Everything.” Rey says. “I can already tell that Snoke wasn’t a kind master.” 

 

      Again Ari laughs. “That he certainly wasn’t, Rey. He was anything but kind. But he did allow us some concessions. Where Luke had been hard and unyielding, Snoke was surprisingly pliant. Passion and anger always comes in high demand with the Sith, both of which can be found between most lovers. He encouraged us to find someone and to draw upon those feelings.” She shakes her head, like she’s trying to rid her mind of a memory. “But he also made it clear that it was but a means to an end. We weren’t to get attached.” 

 

      “And did you?” Rey asks with a bated breath. “Get attached?” 

 

      “Yes and no.” Helia eventually admits. “I’m not saying that walking away was the hardest thing to do, but it wasn’t easy either. He was kind and loving, and I spent all the free time I had in his company. He wanted me to marry him, but I knew I couldn’t.” 

 

      “I’m confused.” Rey admits sheepishly. “I thought Lin and Willow were married. So why-” 

 

      “Why couldn’t I?” Ari interrupts. Then she sighs heavily; as though there’s a great weight on her chest. “Because he wasn't strong with the Force. True, he did have  _ some  _ connection, but it was so faint that Snoke would have laughed in my face had I suggested he join us. Eventually I just gave up thinking of a future with us together.” She shakes her head again. “If it’s any consolation, he’s married now to a beautiful woman. They have three gorgeous children together. And I wouldn’t wish the life I have onto anyone, much less the man I used to love.” 

 

      “The life you have?” 

 

      “Yeah…” Ari murmurs. “I travel a lot. I’m rarely even here, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. It wouldn’t be kind to any potential children, nor my husband.” She pauses and lets her gaze grow hard. “Rey, I don’t want there to be any illusion. The Knights of Ren aren’t free of sins. We’ve murdered people; sometimes  _ good  _ people because of Snoke.” The Knight rises from her chair, and moves across the room. Before she leaves, she mutters some words underneath her breath. “Don’t forget that Snoke wasn’t the only person responsible. After all… the Knights of Ren are nothing without our master.” 

 

      Rey just stares out the window. It’s something she already knows. Rey’s not blind to his past; never has been. She’s shied away and pretended it doesn’t exist, sure, but she’s always known exactly where it is; hidden away behind the deepest, darkest corners of her own mind. 

 

      Much can be forgiven for saving her from Jyiren. Not everything of course - like his father and his uncle - but most. Snoke whispered into his ear since young adolescence; a time when a person is at their most impressionable. Growing up believing one thing and then being told another can be an emotional whiplash. At some point, something’s gotta give. 

 

      Rey can’t bring herself to dawdle on the past for too long; feeling her energy slip from her like sand through her fingers. But she can divert some of her remaining energy towards something productive. 

 

      She starts with helping Vanee in the kitchen, up until she realizes that she’s more of a nuisance than help. But when she tries to make herself scarce, the old man waves her worries away with a flick of his wrist. If she didn’t know any better she’d say it was the Force at work. Instead of getting in the way of the kitchen-staff and the old man, Rey sits perched on one of the counters with a bowl of butter-steamed greens in hand; savoring the crunchiness and the flavor. She adds it to her growing list of foods she’d like to eat again and pins it to a board just outside the kitchen door. It had been Finn’s thing at first, of course, and Rey was more than happy to add onto it. 

 

      Helia is waiting for her after dinner in the training halls with a staff in one hand and a bucket in the other. Rey all but sprints in into the giant hall; breath burning in her lungs. “Sorry I’m late. I lost track of time.” 

 

      “For what it’s worth, you’re not  _ that  _ late.” But they both know that the Knight is lying. It’s obvious from her stance, tightened jaw, and hardened eyes. Ari seems more than a bit annoyed. 

 

      “Sorry.” Rey murmurs again. “There are no clocks on Jakku. I’m still getting used to the concept of time. I only had the sun to guide me, and well...” She peers out the window; lands cast in eternal shadows.  

 

      Reluctantly, Helia sighs; letting anger roll off her like rainwater down a mountain. “Alright. Guess I can’t fault you for that. Just…” Another sigh. “Just try harder next time. I don’t have all day, you know. I have things to do that doesn’t involve training you.” 

 

      There’s no need for more apologies or words. They just launch straight into training; forgetting Rey’s tardiness completely. Today they’re working on balance, something that Helia claims is perhaps even more necessary than strength. 

 

      Helia hands her the staff. “Today you’ll attempt to strike me.” 

 

      “That’s all?” Rey asks with scepticism rolling off her tongue. 

 

      “Well…” Ari adds with a devious smirk. “There is one catch. You have to balance this bucket on your head the entire time. And if you drop it, you’ll have to do twenty laps around the room.” Rey silently prays that she doesn’t drop it. The training-hall is massive; taking up the entirety of the fourth floor of the palace. 

 

      “Alright.” Rey says, taking a deep breath to steady her body. The bucket is hard and cold against her head, but she tries her best to ignore the pressure it puts on her scalp in favor of following her instructions to the letter. 

 

      “Begin!” Helia barks out loudly; gathering strength all the way down from her toes as she launches at Rey, who barely has time to parry the strike in time. The bucket stays secured on her head, but wobbles slightly. A few drops slosh over the edge and onto the floor, which she almost slips in. Thankfully she regains her balance just in time for another brutal swing from Helia’s staff. 

 

      “Hey!” She yells with accusation. “I thought you said that the lesson was to strike  _ you _ , not the other way around.” 

 

      The Knight grunts as she does a downward strike; hitting Rey’s bare toes. The scavenger screams in pain. “Battle isn’t fair, Rey! Neither are masters. Ben might have you meditating on ancient words, and watch stupid holocrons, but I’m a hands-on kind of teacher. If you wanted complacency and cautiousness, you should have waited for his return.” 

 

      Rey jumps back two paces to avoid a roundhouse kick that comes seemingly out of nowhere. They’ve barely even started, and she’s already panting from the exertion. “That seems like a very Sith thing to say,  _ Ari.”  _ She taunts; knowing that the Knight hates her real name. She can’t figure out why, but that doesn’t matter in the heat of the battle. “I thought Ben said you weren’t Sith.” 

 

      Helia grins. “Just because we’re not Sith, doesn’t mean that we don’t follow their teachings. Just like we follow the path of the Jedi. Consider it two rivers merging into one.” There’s barely a second between the silence and another blow, but the Force guides Rey like a light through the darkness. 

 

      She parries the Knights next strike, holding onto each end of her staff for balance. It’s getting increasingly harder to hold the pose without her muscles protesting. “I’m getting tired of these half-truths and vague descriptions!” Rey sidesteps the Knight and takes calm, calculating steps sideways. 

 

      They dance around each other like moths around the flame; neither getting to close in fear of getting burnt. Rey’s trained with Helia enough now to know most of her moves, but that unfortunately goes the other way, too. The Knight can predict the scavengers moves before she even makes them, just by looking into her eyes. 

 

      So to eliminate the problem, Rey attunes herself to the Force; closing her eyes. She has an advantage that Helia’s never considered. For weeks Rey had to stumble through the dark. That gave her the ability to navigate without the use of her eyes. 

 

_       Breathe in, breathe out,  _ like a mantra through her head. Rey may not be Chirrut Imwe, but in the moment she sure feels like it. The scavenger relies on her sense of smell, her hearing, and the Force to guide her across the floor with deadly accuracy; every blow striking true. 

 

      The battle ends in a draw, and they begin it anew every time. It’s not until they’ve sparred for several hours that Helia beckons them to take a break. “Wouldn’t want you to burn through all of your reserves on one training session.” She says as a point of clarification. “You did good today. You trusted in the Force.” 

 

      Rey’s panting heavily, and happily accepts the bottled water offered to her. “I didn’t have much of a choice. You’re a tough opponent.” 

 

      Helia takes a seat next to her master’s bride-to-be with a low chuckle and a loud grunt. The scavenger had managed to land a few decent, unexpected blows. “You don’t get to be a Knight of Ren just sitting on your behind all day.” 

 

      Rey takes a hearty gulp of water. Then she leans back against the wall with a calculating frown on her face. “Helia?” 

 

      “Mh?” 

 

      “Will you tell me about your time training under Skywalker?” The Knight opens her eyes. Rey’s cheeks are a healthy shade of pink, but not just from training. “I know you said you wouldn’t, but…” She trails off, completely at a loss for words. 

 

      There’s a long awkward silence, Helia chewing on the inside of her cheek. “I didn’t have the happiest of childhoods. I never wanted for nothing, except my parents love. Where I grew up children were to be seen, not heard.” She explains. “I spent most of my days rarely even saying a single word. My mother and father kept me around as a symbol of their status, rather than for love. And then one day Luke Skywalker appeared in our door, saying that I was strong with the Force and that he wanted to take me to Yavin-4 for further training.” 

 

      “I take it your parents weren’t too happy about that?” 

 

      Helia chuckles wryly. “Oh no, they were ecstatic. They never really wanted me at all, but the social norm dictated that they marry and have children. So Luke was actually the solution. They could just tell people they’d sent me away to be part of something bigger rather than sell me off or leave me at an orphanage. And Jedi are required to abandon their families anyway.” 

 

      “But Luke still had his sister, and Ben.” Rey’s sorely confused. 

 

      “Well, that’s the exception, I guess. And it’s not like they were close either way. Luke had barely spoken a word to Leia for years before Ben came to the temple. And Luke didn’t treat Ben as his nephew. In fact he treated him like he was just another student. At that point I was already well on my way to becoming a junior Jedi Knight. And then one day the  _ Falcon  _ landed in the courtyard.” 

 

      “What was Ben like? Back then?” Rey finds her interests piqued. 

 

      Helia barks out a loud laugh. “A spoiled brat. More brawn than brains, prone to anger and resentment, and as stubborn as a nerf. You think he’s bad now? You should have seen him at fifteen, all ears and tousled hair and brood.” Her expression changes quickly, into something more reserved. “But also very lonely. And scared, of course. He didn’t know that it was Snoke that was whispering into his ear at that point. He probably just assumed that it was a figment of his own freakin’ imagination, or something like that.” She shakes her head as to relieve it of a memory. “Anyway, we spent most of our days together when I wasn't away on missions. He was always so happy when I came back… so honest and genuine. I’d never had that before. Someone who actually cared.” 

 

      It dawns on Rey why. “He was in love with you.” She more gasps than utters. 

 

      Ari sighs, shrugs her shoulders, and scrunches up her face. “Maybe. Maybe not. If he was, he never told me about it. I just know that I was his first,  _ real  _ friend. Malen arrived on Yavin not long after Ben did. They were never really friends, but I could tell that they at the very least respected each other. Miraak and Lin were there long before Luke came to get me.” 

 

      “What about Mei and Willow?” Rey asks. “Were they not Luke’s students?” 

 

      “Willow wasn’t.” Helia admits. “But Mei… Mei was just a child when the temple burned. I still remember him clutching his teddy-bear to his chest when we came to wake him that night. Covered in soot and scared shitless. He couldn’t have been more than ten, but he still followed us without question. We used to call him ‘little runt’. Still do sometimes, actually.” Ari recalls fondly; as though she’s talking about a little brother rather than a deadly Knight of Ren. 

 

      “Tell me about that night.” 

 

      Helia sighs in exasperation. “That’s not for me to tell.” 

 

      “Please.” Rey pleads. “I already know what Luke did. I just want to know what you all did afterwards.” 

 

      “We didn’t  _ do  _ anything, really. Ben came running through the courtyard and banged open every door to the bungaloos on the way. He was hysterical; nigh on psychotic. He told us what had happened and that he killed Skywalker.” 

 

      “But he hadn't.” Rey argues. 

 

      Helia shakes her head. “Ben didn’t know that at the time. It’s not like he turned around to see if his murderous master was still breathing. He just ran and assumed that Luke was dead underneath all that rubble.” 

 

      “But where did the fire come from? Did you all set it?” The scavenger is frustrated. She can’t comprehend why they would burn down an entire temple filled with people just in case someone would come after them. “I know that they call him the Jedi killer. I just don’t understand why!” 

 

      “That’s your problem, Rey. You don’t  _ need  _ to understand everything, yet you think you do.” Helia rebukes harshly. “Sometimes not knowing something is better than knowing  _ everything _ . The things we’ve done as the Knight of Ren… let’s just say you wouldn’t be able to sleep next to Ben if you knew every dark deed he’s ever done.” And that’s partially true. Maybe Rey has a pathological need to know everything, probably stemming from her childhood as an abandoned little rat on a backwater planet such as Jakku. But this is important. Helia gives in. “To answer your question, no. We didn’t set fire to the temple, at least not deliberately.” 

 

      “What do you mean?” 

 

      “There was a fight. When we all found out what had happened between Ben, after he’d calmed down and explained everything, the majority thought he was lying. And the few that believed him were scared, save for the five of us. Malen, Mei and I stood by his side through it all. Miraak and Lin were reluctant at first, but they ultimately understood that we couldn’t stay. There were a few that made it out that night.” 

 

      “How many?” 

 

      “Six, not counting us Knights. We’ve kept tabs on them over the years, but most have settled into a calm, civilian life. A few do mercenary work, but they tend to stay out of our way. They don’t want any reminder of their old life. None of them are a threat to us, or you for that matter. By extension you’re an untouchable.” Helia briefly glances over to the side for a second before resuming her story. “The rest of the students, around fifteen or so, wanted to fight. They kept saying that Ben was a criminal, that he should be punished. They got in over their heads. I think the fire itself started when someone knocked over a lantern, but I can’t be sure. It was such a large commotion, and my opponents were strong. Looking away for a second would mean certain death.” 

 

      “And then you all just… left?” 

 

      “And then we all just left.” Helia repeats. “We kept hopping from spaceport to spaceport for a few months. Ben was too scared to contact his parents and tell them what had happened, and the rest of us were either orphans or cast aside by our own families. We had no one to turn to in our time of need. It wasn’t easy, surviving like that. But I’m sure you know what that’s like, running from the Resistance. Only difference is that we didn’t know that Luke had survived, and when we found out we weren’t sure if he was going to come after us or not. We were too afraid to take the chance. And we certainly weren’t going to trust Skywalker again after what he tried to do to Ben.” 

 

      “I can understand that.” And Rey really can. She sympathises with the wayward children that had fled their murderous master. “And Snoke?” 

 

      “He came along just in the knick of time. We ran into some trouble in outer space. Our hyperdrive stopped working unexpectedly and Snoke beamed us in. And the rest is history. We followed his every word like it was law after that. Some small reason for our loyalty because of Ben, but also because we felt like we owed him. I think Malen was the only one who was suspicious of Snoke. But since he trusted Ben, we all fell in line behind him.” 

 

      “And what about Willow? How did she join?” 

 

      “Willow, well… Ginny is probably the last person you think about when you hear Knights of Ren. She’s bubbly, and kind, and loving. Much like you. She never felt the need to embrace the darkness, and Snoke couldn’t care less about her. She was just another tool to be used. So long as she did right by him, he wouldn’t force her into the strict training we all received.” 

 

      “What was she like before all of this?” 

 

      “A circus acrobat.” Rey cocks her brow. “Yes, really. She joined the Coruscant circus at six after she’d lost her parents. Lin found her while on a mission seven years ago. He sensed her power through the crowd. I don’t know all the details of their whirlwind romance, but I know that he returned three weeks later with a wife. They’ve been together ever since.” Helia barely pauses to breathe. “And to answer the question I know you’re about to, no, Snoke wasn’t particularly happy about it. Lin got a brutal reprimand for it, too. But it was worth it… for love.” 

 

      For love, Rey thinks silently. Yes, for love, pain is worth it.  

 

* * *

 

 

      Ben honestly hadn’t been _actively_ looking for the Resistance when he stumbles upon them by accident on Coruscant. It’s a look one of the passerby’s give him that instantly rubs him the wrong way. He can’t explain it, but he knows that they’re here. He sees the man disappear behind a corner, and the street is too filled with pedestrians to get an accurate read on the man’s signature. He becomes invisible, and Ben is left wondering where he fled to next. 

 

      They’d been hiding right under his feet the entire time. Coco town, he murmurs quietly to himself, should have known, he surmises. It’s the lowest of the low; the virtual cesspit of grime and dirt, and a breeding ground for criminals and scum like the Rebels. He asks a stall-owner where he might find a good drink - working on a mere hunch from the Force - to which she replies:  _ Organa’s _ in Coco Town. 

 

      Fury boils like water in a kettle when he finds out that Poe sullied his mother’s legacy by reducing it into this. Whatever credits Poe Dameron had at his disposal he obviously used to fund a night-club in the lower parts of the city; one where they could move inventory and personnel without being detected by the local authorities. It’s pretty ingenious. Infuriating, yes, but ingenious nonetheless. The peacekeepers rarely ran through those parts of Coruscant if it wasn’t strictly necessary. 

 

      Ben can’t let the rot spread; like cancer inside the core of the planet. 

 

      He needs to herd them out and wipe the filth of the Resistance from the face of the galaxy before it’s too late. The club hasn’t been there for more than two standard galactic months, which means they’ve moved around a lot before. That could only mean two things. One, the have an alternative hideout; or two, they’re spooked enough to take uncalculated risks. 

 

      Ben hopes for the latter. That way they might be easier to catch in their entirety rather than chasing scrap through the star systems for the remainder of his days. He stomps through the streets of Coruscant like he owns them - and let’s be honest, as Emperor he kind of does - looking for something to fill his time with. He’s already radioed his Knights and informed them of the situation, but they won’t be able to reach Coruscant until later that day, local time. 

 

      Ben stumbles upon a shopkeeper that everyone calls “Lucky”. He’s cut from the same cloth as Unkar Plutt, that much is obvious by his haughty, holier than thou air about him. Lucky’s placing his merchandize on the table; small baubles and trinkets at no doubt engrossed prices, as well as some spice that Ben knows he’s hiding underneath his small stand for private clientele. 

 

      He doesn’t bother introducing himself as the Emperor. He’s done enough unmasked appearances on the holonet to know that Lucky recognizes him. Ben’s assessment is correct. But rather than start sweating and grow nervous, the shopkeep almost seems like he’s been expecting the most powerful man in the galaxy to happen upon his stand. 

 

      “Ah, Emperor Ren. An honour, sir.” He bellows; stepping out from behind the table and shaking Ben’s hand with a firm, tight grasp. Ben reciprocates fully, matching the other man’s intensity and strength. He won’t appear weak in front of this gentleman. Lucky gets the hint and promptly lets go. “What can I help you with, your excellency?” 

 

      “I need to speak with you regarding some wares.” Ben plays it off like he’s actually here to purchase something to make the other man more compliant. That way something might unexpectedly slip from the shopkeepers mouth, without him even realizing it. “I wanted to know more about where you get them.” 

 

      “They’re all legally purchased.” Lucky’s quick to defend. “I can show you the papers, if you’d like?” 

 

      “No.” Ben waves the concern away. “I just wanted to know the quality of the items, and if they’re from a Republic friendly world. I don’t want to endorse my enemies.” A metaphorical light bulb goes off in the shopkeepers eyes. 

 

      “Of course, your highness. I understand. While I do tend to do some of my business on Chandrila, I also purchase some smaller wares from a trader named Jyiren.” As if this day couldn’t get any better. Instead of one bird, one stone, he can clip two of them at the same time,  _ guaranteed _ . 

 

      He plays it cool, not letting his anger tip him off. “I heard he left Chandrila months. No one has heard or seen from him since.” 

 

      “I find that odd, Emperor Ren, considering he’s in one of your holding cells, awaiting trial for murder.” That catches Ben’s attention. Murder? Not a single soul has spoken a word about it. Surely his loyal subjects would know to contact him after the bounty he’s put on the trader’s head. 

 

      “I seem to have been misinformed. Can you tell me more about the murder he supposedly committed?” 

 

      Lucky practically beams with slyness. “Ah, a grand tale indeed.” He speaks cryptically, pulling Ben towards the stand. “It involves an old woman.” 

 

_       Mrs. Kriek? _ That’s the name Rey had been screaming at the top of her lungs when she’d awakened from her coma. “His housekeeper?” 

 

      Lucky nods enthusiastically. “Rumor is that she served him the wrong kind of tea. Others say that it involved a young lady he had in his possession up until recently. Very beautiful, young little thing.” Ben is but a bare second away from slicing this scum ten different ways to Sunday, but he’s still useful.

 

      “What young little thing?” Ben asks. 

 

      “Around nineteen or so, skin dark as the night sky. Lovely brown hair and eyes. A little sad maybe, but no less beautiful. A slave, if my sources are correct.” Not Rey, is all Ben hears. “She fled shortly thereafter. I think the slavers caught her again.” 

 

      “You are aware that my regime has since banned slavery.” Ben says, slipping into full Emperor mode. “There might be a heavy sack of credits for you if you tell me where those slavers are.” 

 

      Lucky shrugs. “Don’t know, your excellency. I haven’t heard so much as a whisper on them for days now. But some say they’re hiding out in the Western reaches. Jedha if I’m not mistaken.” 

 

      “Which you are.” Ben adds. “Jedha was destroyed when the Empire burnt the capital to a crisp.” 

 

      “Right you are, your highness, but the rest of the planet still remains. The Empire destroyed the city, but not the planet itself. True, it’s no picnic to live there these days. Most of the ash and debris from the Death Star’s blow still flurries through the air, but some are brave or stupid enough to endure it.” 

 

      There are still people on Jedha? Another big revelation. Ben honestly hadn’t even considered the planet up until today. He makes sure to commit the information to memory so that his officers might add it to the official papers later on. 

 

      “I see.” Ben murmurs. “And what about your other suppliers? Are they pro-Republic?” 

 

      Lucky shakes his head, pointing towards a beautiful, necklace with green and yellow stones imbedded into the chain; with a single sapphire as a centerpiece. “This I would recommend for you. It’s an old heirloom from Padmé Amidala herself. You do know of her, don’t you?” 

 

      He all but grits his teeth. If it had ever been in his grandmother’s possession, Ben would know. Nothing about this necklace tells him that Padmé wore it, nor was it hers. But he does recognize it, somehow. Like a distant memory he’s buried away. “I’ve heard of her. She was quite famous, after all.” 

 

      “It was sold to me by Jyiren. He assures me that it’s authentic. Even had papers to prove it and all.” Lucky leans in closer with a knowing smirk. “But neither one of us believes that. It simply wasn’t her style. Anyone who’s seen her portrait hanging in the palace of Naboo knows that she preferred jewelry from her homeworld. This isn’t even from the same sector. It’s from-” 

 

      “Alderaan. The stones are taken from the colony world of Birren, but the design is Alderinian. It belonged to someone very important.” Ben grabs a few credits from inside his coat, finally realizing why it looked so familiar. “Fifty credits if you guess right. Ten if you’re wrong.” 

 

      “I know your story, your highness. I know who you are; who you were before you were the Emperor, and before you called yourself Kylo Ren. I’d recognize the son of Han Solo anywhere, my boy.” It should have made him angry, furious even, but Ben can’t bring himself to resort to such feelings. So he settles for a blank expression. “It belonged to his wife, your mother, Leia Organa. Given to her by her husband on their wedding-day. Jyiren was close, but not close enough.” 

 

      “That’s not common knowledge.” Ben states. “Very few people know that Leia was the true-born daughter of Padmé Amidala. Or my relation to either of my parents, for that matter either.” 

 

      “True, but the people know about Vader. It’s not too hard to piece together all the fact once you know what to look for. Marital records, for example, are not that hard to find. Even before the Empire, Naboo ran a tight ship. They recorded everything. The priests did, too.” 

 

      “Yes.” Ben omits. “That’s also true. So I’m guessing you did a bit of digging.” 

 

      “Aye.” Lucky says. “That I did. Nothing goes on in this galaxy without me knowing it.” He glances towards the alleyway down the busy street; beckoning Ben to follow his eyes. “About who hides in plain sight, for example.” Ben tosses the fifty credits onto the table, just like he promised. “Huh. Maybe you’re more of your mother’s son than you realize.” 

 

      “Han never paid his debts.” Ben finishes. “But I do. And I take care of the people who are loyal to me.” He leans in closer with a menacing look. “Are you? Loyal?” 

 

      Lucky throws his head back and emits a loud cackling laugh. “Your mother’s son, indeed. Leia could be terrifying when she was in that mood.” He wipes away a stray tear. “Aye, your highness. Any son of Leia and Han I am loyal to. Which is why the necklace is yours to take, free of charge. It wouldn’t be right to hold onto it since it’s technically your family heirloom.” 

 

      “Thank you.” Ben utters and grabs the necklace off the table. “You’ve been most helpful today. Even more so than my most trusted advisors.” 

 

      “I may be a scheming, good for nothing old smuggler and general no-good doer, but I  _ am  _ loyal. I just hope that when the time comes, someone might return the favor.” 

 

      Ben considers it for a moment, and finally makes a decision. “You knew I was coming, didn’t you?” 

 

      “Aye. I did. I’ve been expecting you for quite some time now. Ever since the rebels set up shop right underneath our feet. I knew you’d figure it out eventually.” He makes a brief pause, then gives a warm, toothy smile. “That, and because the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, so to speak. If you’re ever in need of something discreet, let me know and I’ll come through for ya. It’s the least I can do after all the trouble Han got me out of.” 

 

      “I’ll keep that in mind.” Ben returns the smile. “And as for your favor, I can’t say that I’ll consider turning a complete blind eye to every aspect of your business, but I’ll do my very best should you require anything in return.” 

 

      Lucky nods, then goes deep into his mind to think. “There is actually something you could do, right now.” 

 

      “And what might that be?” Ben asks. 

 

      “There’s an orphanage around the corner. So many of the children are dirty, unfed, and beaten by the mistresses working there. Maybe you could find them a good home? Or better yet, find them another mistress.” He sighs deeply. “My hands may not be the cleanest, and Force knows I’ve done terrible deeds in my days, but I would never harm a child. And I can’t turn a blind eye to it anymore. They’re so filled with wonder and idealism. They deserve a good home.” He shakes his head. “Forgive an old man his ramblings, Emperor Ren. I just wish there was something more I could do. I throw them scraps whenever they run by the stall, but I can’t afford to give them too much. I have my own family to consider.” 

 

      And Ben can understand that. “I’ll do something about the mistress. You have my word, Lucky.” 

 

      The old man nods. “Thank you, son. I know that Han and I had a bit of a falling out towards the end, but I still considered him a brother once.” Ben furrows his brows. “Don’t fret, child. I don’t fault you for what you did. I may not like it, but I understand it.” 

 

      Before he leaves Ben buys another few items, most of them for Rey, but one cloak-pin is entirely his own. A sword with an onyx in the hilt, which he dons as soon as he starts walking towards the orphanage. He bids the old man a quick farewell and coms his Knights to inform them about the alley across the street; the most discreet entrance, Lucky had informed him. They would handle it while he himself goes to inspect the small orphanage. 

 

      The door is almost off its hinges, in desperate need of a paint job, and the windows are all tinted to prevent anyone from peering inside. That doesn’t bode well. Whatever goes on in there, the mistress wants to keep from prying eyes. 

 

      He knocks hard; hoping that he won’t accidentally put his fist through the door. After the most persistent third knock, someone opens the gate. A young woman, but far too old to be one of the orphans, sticks her head halfway through. “Can I help you, sir?” 

 

      Ben arches his brow, as though he’s challenging her to continue speaking in such a disrespectful tone. “I’d like to come in.” 

 

      “And who might you be?” She haughtily rebukes. Ben can’t resist calling upon the Force and pushing a vision into her head. Not a terrifying one; just a small vision to remind her exactly who he is. Her face goes beet-red; flushed and embarrassed for not recognizing him sooner. “Y-your highness!” She stammers out in a clammed up tone. “I didn’t realize it was you. Please, do come in.” 

 

      Nothing can prepare Ben for the sight he sees. It’s filthy, yes, like most institutions such as this, but it’s more than that. It’s completely falling apart; streams of sunlight shining through the broken patches of roof. Rainwater is still on the floor from this morning’s unexpected shower. So far he’s not impressed with what he sees, something which the young woman takes notice of immediately. “Please excuse the mess, your imperial highness. We haven’t gotten funding yet to refurbish and repair. I…” She swallows thickly. “Where are my manners? Would you like a cup of tea?” 

 

      He removes his gloves, turning to face the stairs. A small group of children have run down to see what the commotion is all about. They’re halfway between hiding with the help of the wall, and staring at him with wonder in their eyes. Lucky was right… they really are naive, but wonderful little creatures. One boy in particular is brave enough to muster a small wave. 

 

      Ben waves back. The rest of the foyer is abhorrent unimpressive. The wooden daybed underneath the window sill is rotten through; a deep shade of brown instead of a soft tawny that it’s supposed to be. There are a few chairs strewn about, some knocked over and some standing, but all in the same condition as the daybed. The floor creaks loudly as he steps on it, and the general facility is cast in deep shadows and decorated sparsely with a single shade of brown. 

 

      This looks more like a forsaken building than an orphanage. So, no, he will not be taking any tea; or any refreshment from a place like this. Best case scenario he’ll be in bed for weeks with a bad case of food poisoning. He shudders to think about the worst. “No thank you, miss.” He gives the young, fair woman a small tug at the corners of his lips; closely resembling a smile. “That won’t be necessary.” 

 

      “May I ask why you’ve visited us this fine day?” She quickly grows flustered again. “I-I apologize if my tone was disrespectful. I didn’t mean anything by it.” 

 

      “Apology accepted.” He says curtly, deciding not to get stuck in unnecessary pleasantries. “I simply came to visit. This establishment does befall under my rule, correct? And thus I am allowed to enter, am I not?” 

 

      “Of course, your highness. If we knew you’d be coming we would have tidied up.” Instinctively she starts shuffling shards of glass and other broken things out of sight. But that’s what these people do: keep the “unwanted” pests from everyones mind and off the streets. Though Ben starts to suspect that the children would have preferred a dark, clammy alley over this. 

 

      Lucky was right, once again. The deep hollows of their faces, and the dark circles underneath their eyes. This is not a place for a child. Even Rey, in her spartainian AT-AT had it better than this. At least she never had to endure regular beatings and sleeplessness. But starvation, yes, that’s something his Empress knows. 

 

      The young woman points towards a door leading deeper into the building. “Perhaps we should take this meeting in the courtyard?” She asks with a hopeful tint to her voice. 

 

      Ben shakes his head. “I’ve come because people have raised concerns over the state of this…” He glances around, suddenly at a loss for words. “Establishment.” He settles for. “I see that they’re not entirely unfounded, miss…?” 

 

      She catches onto the hint pretty quickly. “Miss Mandolian, your highness. Cassie Mandolian. I help run the orphanage.” And running it, he’s sure the real mistress of the house is. Running it into the ground, that is. He can picture the old woman behind his closed lids. Graying hair, combed into a tight bun at the nape of her neck, a tight smile, fake and shallow as they come, a prideful posture and wrinkled hands, but most of all impeccably well dressed. Where else would all the money  _ his  _ government sends this place have gone? 

 

      He purses his lips, chews on air as he’s often one to do, and swallows. Yes, there’s definitely something wrong here. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that money is being embezzled, probably directly into the old woman’s pockets. Had Lucky not told him about what’s going on inside the four walls of the orphanage, chances are no one would have ever gone to investigate. How fortunate then that Ben isn’t no one. 

 

      “Gather all the children in the courtyard, miss Mandolian. And then go fetch your mistress. I would like a word with her,  _ immediately _ .” The young woman, Cassie, can’t be older than twenty-five standard years, but right now she looks like a frightened little girl about to get a brutal reprimand. She disappears behind a corner, speaking in a hushed tone to the curious children who’ve come to investigate the new arrival to their humble little home. 

 

      He can hear Cassie trudging up the stairs. Ben can see the imprints of her feet against the floor just by checking the dust that dislodges from the ceiling. It falls onto his immaculate leather shoes, onto the tops of his shoulders, and even some in his hair. He quickly shakes it away from his scalp, and stomps towards the door the woman had pointed towards a few moments earlier.

 

      The courtyard could have been beautiful once upon a time.  _ Once _ . Now it’s as gray and as dull as the inside; encased by walls on every side. There’s no swingset, or toys laying about, and it doesn’t look like anyone’s been here for a long time. A lone tree grows in the middle, bare of leaves or life, and Ben suspects that the lack of sunlight has killed off any flora in the flowerbeds; if there ever was any flora to begin with. 

 

      The stone paths that runs side by side with the flowerbeds are almost non-existent; overgrown with weeds to such a degree that his feet may as well be on a lawn. But when he looks around he notices that the grass is sparse, and only growing in certain sections; the rest of the courtyard a muddy mess. No wonder the children are so filthy.

 

      There’s a great, moss-covered rock just underneath the tree - a tall and mighty oak - which he sits upon; waiting for the children to trickle into the courtyard. It takes less than a minute for the kids to filter through the door heading to the outside, all varying in species, sizes, ages, and genders. There are two Twi’lek’s, their skin as dull as the rock he’s sitting upon. Extremely unhealthy, his mind supplies. Twi’lek’s are supposed to be either green, or blue, not a sickly shade of gray. 

 

      There are some Duros’, three Togruta’s, and a single wookie. The rest are human male and female children with gaunting faces, missing teeth, dirty and disheveled clothing, and filth covering every inch of them. They look at Ben with frightened, uncertain expressions, but there’s also curiosity. They’re scared, yes, but also intrigued. 

 

      He decides to give them a smile, motioning for them to have a seat before him. Most do, talking with hushed voices amongst themselves; wondering what the Emperor of the known galaxy is doing here. He summons the Force, listening to their thoughts without being too intrusive. Most of them are happy, but reserved, and all are awestruck. But one girl, a small human that can’t be more than five, is brave enough to approach him. 

 

      “Lara!” One of the younglings exclaim. The girl, Lara, looks back upon her friend. “You can’t just walk up to the Emperor.” She motions for the younger one to take a seat beside her. 

 

      But the young one with big, beautiful cedar eyes, and thick, raven hair shakes her head definitively. She’s not going to have a seat next to the other orphans. Instead she walks up to the Emperor, eyes as big as a doe’s, and yanks at the material of his overcoat. Ben arches his brow, but smiles nonetheless. He’s fascinated, that this small creature who summons distrust as easily as he can summon his blade has the courage to walk up to one of the most dangerous men in the entire galaxy; and tug at his coat. Ben is nothing short of amused. 

 

      She tugs harder, until he lets his hand fall from his lap. It wraps around her like a vine, and for the first time in his life Ben feels like he has to protect this being with his life, if necessary. Not even Rey inspires this level of protectiveness within him. 

 

      “Lara!” The girl from before rises from her seat, and walks over with quick steps. She grabs ahold on the young one’s hand; tugging her towards the rest of the group. 

 

      “No!” Lara screams; letting her grip on Ben tighten. “I don’t wanna.” She murmurs as she buries her face in his side. There’s something strange, far more curious than he’s ever known before, that tugs at his heartstrings. He can’t quite put a name to the feeling, and that only makes him frustrated. 

 

      The older girl, around ten or so, is practically yanking Lara away from him. Ben raises his hand into the air, shaking his head. “No. Leave her be.” He tells the girl. “It’s alright.” 

 

      Shocked, and perhaps a little distrusting, she nods slowly and returns to her mates. Lara starts climbing upwards, giving small grunts in exasperation when her feet meets nothing but air; attempting to hoist herself up. Ben understands what she’s trying to do, and helps her the rest of the way. It’s not until she’s perched up on one of his legs that she leans into his shoulder - and cries softly. 

 

      The feeling is back; the one that makes his entire chest explode with anxiety. Out of instinct, he wraps his arms around her, like a silent promise to keep her safe and protected from all the harms and dangers of the galaxy, for the rest of his days. It’s enough to make his breath hitch. He should say something, but he can’t find the words. Luckily the lone wookie solves his predicament by speaking up. 

 

_        "Are you really the Emperor?”  _ He can hear in the tone of the voice that the wookie is female. As far as humans go, she would be considered an adult; probably around Ben’s own age. But to her own kind, she’s still nothing but a child. 

 

      “What’s your name?” He asks her. 

 

      She growls softly in reply.  _ “Melilla. _ ” 

 

      Ben smiles. “H Melilla. Yes, I am the Emperor.” 

 

_       “You know Shyriiwook?”  _ She asks in return. 

 

      “Yes I do. My uncle was a wookie. His name was Chewbacca of Kashyyyk.” 

 

_       “That’s my homeworld!”  _ She exclaims.  _ “What do you mean ‘was’?”  _

 

      It’s not her fault, Ben knows, but the sadness grabs ahold of every cell of his body nonetheless. He takes a deep breath, then musters up a small, but sad, smile. “He’s gone now. Killed by some very bad people.” He decides not to involve them all in politics… they’re too young to see the horrors of the world just yet. “Are your parents gone?” He asks her. 

 

      She nods sadly.  _ “Yes. They died when the Rebels came to Kashyyyk a few moon-cycles ago. They burned our village to the ground when we refused to take them in.”  _ She sniffles roughly.  _ “I knew Chewbacca.”  _ She admits.  _ “He was my father’s best friend. I didn’t know he had died. He was fine last time I saw him.”  _

 

      And Ben knows that pain all too well. “I’m sorry that you didn’t know, little one. He was my father’s best friend, too.” Even though he doesn’t say the name Han Solo out loud, he can see the hint of recognition in her eyes. Like she’s just figured out exactly who he is. Thankfully she doesn’t comment. 

 

      Ben glances around the small courtyard and at their faces. They’re too young, too innocent to be placed in a Hell like this. Where the roof over their head might lead to their death from either exposure or a collapse. Where it looks like they haven’t been fed for several days with bones visible through the skin. Where the mistress is cruel and beats them, verbally abuses them, and no one does a thing to stop it. 

 

      That ends today, he vows. He clears his throat loudly, making Lara uncover her face from his shoulder and glance at his scarred face with her deep, brown eyes; matching his own. “I want you to answer all of my questions honestly. There is no right or wrong answer, and no one will harm you for speaking up. Do you all understand?” They nod in unison. Good, he thinks to himself, it’ll make things easier. “Alright. How long ago has it been since you were fed.” 

 

      “This morning.” The older girl from before answers. That was several hours ago.  “Some thin soup and a small piece of bread.” 

 

      Not enough for a growing child, that’s for sure. He nods. “And what of your mistress? Does she raise her hand against you?” 

 

      A boy with freckles and bright, red hair answers. “Yeah. She beat Mika just before you got here.” He holds up another boy’s hand; where the fingers are red and swollen. Ben inhales sharply; his teeth feeling like they might crack under the pressure of his tightly wound jaw. “The mistress is awful.” 

 

      “Kael!” A child from the back exclaims. “You’ll be in trouble if you speak ill of the mistress!” 

 

      Ben waves their concerns away. “No, child. No one will be in trouble for telling the truth today. Nothing you say here will merit any form of punishment.” Lara yanks softly at his coat lapel. “Yes?” 

 

      “She drinks brown stuff a lot.” She mutters. “It makes her stink. And she slurs, and stumbles a lot, too.” The rest of the children nod in agreement. 

 

      “Alcohol?” He asks. 

 

      Lara shrugs. “I dunno what it’s called. She gets really mean though.” 

 

      Even Han, who was known for liking his whiskey a little bit  _ too much  _ sometimes, made sure to shield a young Ben from the sight. His com beeps, but Ben ignores it. He’s busy with far more important matters at the moment. Not even Poe Dameron and his motley crew of terrorists is enough to drag him away from the orphanage right now.

 

      Ben shakes his head in disbelief at Lara’s confession. Mistresses of orphanages are to adhere to strict rules: never beat the children, to do everything in their power to make sure the children find good homes, don’t drink, ext. Thus far the mistress of this home has failed spectacularly. 

 

      “I see.” He murmurs under his breath; beckoning Lara to crawl deeper into his embrace. It’s like he never,  _ ever  _ wants to let go of this small being again. He’s barely known her for a few minutes, but already she’s wormed herself into his heart. He looks up into the crowd of children; their expressions hopeful and expectant. Ben clears his throat again. “Melilla?” The wookie growls in confirmation. “I’ll have someone drop you off with Chewbacca’s wife. She’s a kind woman who owes me a favor. She’d happily take you in.” The wookie beams with happiness. “As for the rest of you…” He pauses briefly to consider his next move. “I’ll make sure to find you good homes.  It might not happen today, and you’ll have to be patient, but you have my word.” 

 

      “What will happen to the orphanage?” One of them asks. 

 

      Ben looks around at the exterior of the house; knowing as well as the mistress that this building should have either have been condemned long ago, or renovated. “It’ll be torn down and rebuilt.” 

 

      “And the mistress?” Another asks. 

 

      Ben smiles. “She’ll be taken into custody by the peacekeepers. She’ll never hurt you, ever again. I promise.” 

 

* * *

 

      It takes quite some time, but eventually the peacekeepers arrive just in time for the mistress to wake from her alcohol induced coma. The look of sheer surprise and hatred is all the reward Ben needs for taking care of these matters. Then he makes a memo to put Helia in charge of finding the orphanage a new mistress, just in time for the building to be rebuilt. 

 

      Miss Maldonia finds herself following the peacekeepers to the nearest cell next to the mistress. She, too, has failed when she chose to do nothing about the old woman’s cruel behavior. 

 

      As for the young child perched on his hip, well… Ben can’t find the strength to put her down on the ground and leave her behind. There’s too much of a connection; a fatherly love that Han must have felt while holding Ben. He doesn’t even radio Rey to tell her the new responsibility they’ve both undertaken. He knows - or at the very least  _ hopes  _ \- that she won’t make a fuss over it. He dares dream that she’ll even be happy about it. 

 

      Lara tugs at his coat. “Yes, sweetie?” He’s practically a beacon of light right now; happy and content with this little life in his arms. 

 

      “Will I have to go with the rest of the kids to the castle?” She asks; glancing over at the large group of kids following the peacekeepers to the Coruscant palace, where they will live until the orphanage is finished. 

 

      Ben shakes his head. “No, Lara.” He says. 

 

      “Oh…” She murmurs; playing with a strand of his hair, the same shade as her own. “Do I have to live on the streets from now on?” Tears are brimming her eyes. “Did I do something wrong, Emperor? I’m sorry-” 

 

      He kisses her wettened cheek sweetly. “No, sweetheart.” He says softly. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” 

 

      She nods, rubbing her eyes from the salty tears. “Will you be my new papa?” 

 

      He holds her tightly; burying his face in her small shoulder. “Yes, Lara. I’m taking you home.” 

 

      And the sun sets and rises with this small child, barely even four years of age. The smile brightens her face like a beam of light in the darkest of nights; guiding him home. He dares hope it’s the Force, but he honestly doesn’t care if it isn't. Either way, she’ll be his daughter in name, now and forever. 

 

      The com in his pocket can’t be ignored any longer, Ben realizes when they round the corner towards Lucky’s stall. It’s been ringing off the hook for the duration of his stay at the orphanage, something which he’d tried putting into the back of his mind for later. Now it’s rearing its ugly head out into open; daring him to put it off for much longer. 

 

      He reluctantly sighs, changes his grip around his daughter - his sleeping  _ daughter…  _ he has a  _ child  _ now, his mind supplies numbly - and puts the device to his lips. “What is so important that you just won’t  _ give up _ .” He bristles harshly. 

 

_       “Forgive me, master. But it’s imperative that we speak.  _ _ Immediately _ _.”  _ It’s not a tone he’s heard Mei Ren use before. The youngest amongst them, not even a teen when they’d fled Luke’s temple, is always soft-spoken and never speaks out of bounds. The tone he’s conveying tells Kylo that something is wrong.  _ Horribly wrong _ . 

 

      “We’ll meet up in the market-place. I trust you can find your way there.” 

 

_       “Yes, master. I’ll see you there within the hour. I need to gather the rest of the Knights.”  _ They each clip out a quick goodbye, at which point Lara raises her head from his shoulder and smiles weakly. She rubs her eyes of crust and yawns. 

 

      “Daddy, where are we going?” He just smiles. 

 

      “We’re going to the market. We need to get you some things.” Thank the Force he remembers his own childhood vividly enough to know what a child might need. She’s four, which usually means some clothes, a few toys, stuffed animals, and other small trinkets. Everything else they’ll have at Mustafar, including several rooms that stand unused. He’ll put her in the one next door to his and Rey’s. That way she’ll know that they’re always close-by. 

 

      She brings it up, unexpectedly out of the blue. “Will we be living alone?” She asks.

 

      “No, Sweetie. There are many people living on Mustafar. Your mother’s there, too.” 

 

      At the mention of mother, Lara squeals in delight. “I have a mommy?” 

 

      “Yes, Sweetheart.” He chuckles. “You have a mommy now.” 

 

      “Tell me about her.” She demands, like a child throwing a tantrum. But Ben just laughs, holds her closer, and starts talking about the woman who’s stolen his heart completely. About her life as a scavenger, her hardships through adolescence, and how she came to meet him. He leaves out the part about killing his father, and being complicit in his uncle’s demise. Those are too incomprehensible for a child. He’ll tell her when she’s older, he promises to no-one in particular. Everything else, surprisingly, she knows. About his allegiance to the First Order, about Snoke, and the way he came to be Emperor. 

 

      They reach the market-place just as the clock in the town-square tower rings loudly. It’s three o’clock in the afternoon, and his little Starlight - he’s taken to calling her that - looks like she’s about to curl into herself with hunger. Ben walks past a food-stall with smoked Corellian nerf and buys them three sticks each. Lara happily chomps down on hers, like a rabid mongrel. He finds it both endearing, and disheartening. Endearing because she reminds him so much about Rey, the woman who eats like someone’s about to snatch her plate away. And disheartening, because no child should have to go this hungry. 

 

      He’s just finished buying everything his daughter might need when Mei intercepts him. “Master.” He bows deeply, and Lara’s eyes shine with awe. 

 

      “Who’s that, daddy?” She asks. Mei looks startled, reserved, but most of all curious. Much like the children back at the orphanage. 

 

      “This is Mei Ren. He’s one of the Knights that works with me.” He turns to his loyal companion. “Mei, this is Lara. My daughter.” 

 

      “I… I wasn’t aware-” 

 

      Ben shakes his head. “I adopted her. Just now, actually.” He kisses her cheek fondly. “Lara, give uncle Mei a wave.” She complies, like she’s under the power of a Jedi mind trick. Mei hesitantly returns the wave, still not over the initial shock. 

 

      “Will uncle Mei live with us on Mustafar?” 

 

      “Yes, Starlight.” Ben says. “He and five others.” 

 

      “And mama, too?” She all but screams in his ear. 

 

      “Of course mama will live with us, Sweetheart.” He answers. 

 

      He spots Malen rounding the corner with determined steps; coming to halt just before Ben and the child he’s holding in his arms. He fumbles over his words for quite some time before turning to Mei. “Dare I ask?” 

 

      Mei shrugs. “His daughter. He took her out of the orphanage just now.” The youngest Knight points towards the condemned building down the street; clearly visible from the market-place. 

 

      Malen gives Lara a small smile. “Hey, sweetie. I’m Malen, but you may call me Max if you want.” 

 

      His First Knight hasn’t used his real name in any capacity for the past ten years, but Ben knows that he’s always had a soft-spot for children. Ben looks down at his daughter, who’s beaming once more. Yeah… she’ll have all of them wrapped around her finger in no time. Force help them all. 

 

      Malen’s expression turns serious. “Kylo… we have a problem.” 

 

      “What?” 

 

      “We entered the nightclub and caught most of the Rebels with one fell swoop. Some died trying to fight us off, but about sixty percent are alive and being escorted to holding cells. Two surrendered.” 

 

      Ben shrugs. “So? I don’t see a problem with that.” 

 

      “Well… you did say that Poe Dameron was to be captured alive.” Ben nods slowly. “I’m sorry. He put a blaster to his head before either of us could intervene. I know you wanted him to stand trial for what he’s done-”

 

      “It doesn’t matter.” Ben cuts him off. “So long as justice has been served, it won’t matter to the public. He died resisting arrest. What about the two that surrendered?” 

 

      “They’ve been escorted to your personal shuttle.” 

 

      “Then let's not waste time.” He says curtly; stalking off towards his ship. 

 

      The ride back to the castle is spent in relative silence. With Lara fast asleep in his lap, and his Knights busy making preparations for landing, Ben is left in silent contemplation. He glances over at the bench where two women sit; glaring daggers into his soul. 

 

      Rose Tico, she’d introduced herself as to Mei, and Kaydel Ko Connix, a woman who worked closely with Leia Organa, both managed to survive the hit on the nightclub. In some ways Ben is thankful; with Kaydel’s wits and intellect they can manage much, if she chooses to work with him rather than against. 

 

      Rose on the other hand, is another problem entirely. A skilled mechanic, or so Finn had said when they’d last spoken about his missing girlfriend. Prone to bouts of craziness, too, highly eccentric, kind with a good heart, and loyal to a fault sometimes. But the way she’s looking at Ben makes him wonder if Finn’s enough to bring her over to the Emperor’s side. 

 

      Apart from that he knows very little about the woman in front of her, save for the fact that he can see why Finn fell in love with her. Headstrong, and beautiful; just like Rey. 

 

      Lara shifts nervously in his arms, furrowing her brows and scrunching up her face. Thus far neither Rose, nor Kaydel, has made a single comment on the child he’s holding, but he can sense through the Force that they’re both eager to know. Lara’s eyes peak open; looking him steadily in the eye. 

 

      “Papa?” She rumbles with a raspy voice. “Are we there yet?” 

 

      He places his lips against her forehead. “Soon, Sweetie. Not much longer now.” Mei pokes his head out from the cockpit and nods in confirmation. “Yeah…” He murmurs. “Not much longer.” 

 

      “Will I get my own room? Or do I have to share it with someone?” He can’t quite read the expression on her face. 

 

      “That depends.” He says. “Do you want your own room?” 

 

      She nods. “It’s so hard to sleep with everyone snoring all the time.” 

 

      “Then yes, sweetheart. Of course you can get your own room.” 

 

      “And my own bathroom?” 

 

      He chuckles. “That, too. And lots and lots of toys. And your mommy and I will always be there to play with you.” Rose’s expression softens, like she’s seen an anomaly in the stars. Caught between surprise and endearment, the young woman takes a deep breath. 

 

      “Is that…?” She starts, speaking for the first time since setting foot on the ship. She clears her throat, and tries again. “Is that your daughter?” 

 

      Ben nods. “Yes.” He says curtly. 

 

      “And Rey’s?” 

 

      He nods again. “Yes.” 

 

      “Your biological child?” 

 

      “No.” He replies. “But she’s our daughter nonetheless.” 

 

      “I wasn’t saying she’s not.” Rose bristles. “Just curious, that’s all.” 

 

      There’s an awkward silence, both parties having said what they wanted to. There’s no real  _ need  _ to prolong the conversation, but Ben has some questions of his own. Better to just bite the bullet and get it over with, he reasons. “Why didn’t you leave with Finn?” 

 

      “I beg your pardon?” She spits. “That’s none of your business. Not that it matters anyway. Surely you killed him the second you and your men caught him.”  

 

      Ben keeps his mouth shut. No amount of protesting will do either of them any good. If Rose chooses not to believe him, then that’s her prerogative, not his. “You’ll see him soon enough.” He settles for. 

 

      “Yeah.” She snorts. “I’m sure I will.” 

 

      The rest of the ride, thankfully,  _ is  _ silent. Lara has resumed her sleeping, and Kaydel and Rose are keeping quiet. They share a few looks amongst them, but are otherwise silent as the grave. 

 

      They land on Mustafar ten minutes to midnight, and Ben can feel their apprehension and distrust through the grapevines of the Force. It’s enough to make him want to slam his head into the nearest wall. He gets that he isn’t the most benevolent man in the galaxy, but living under Poe Dameron’s tyrannical rule surely must be less preferable than this. Then again, anyone can get used to something - thrive even - if they’re exposed to it long enough. Rey’s the perfect example of that. 

 

      Speaking of, he thinks as they disembark the shuttle. She’s standing there, like a vision, in a long, white dress, eyes hardened and accusing. Oh boy… 

 

      With Lara still in his arms he walks - stomps - towards his wife-to-be; whose expression quickly changes once she sees the young girl. “Who-” She clears her throat. “Who is this, Ben?” 

 

      Ben smiles. “Our little starlight.” He says. “Our daughter.” 

 

      “What?” 

 

      “I plucked her out of an orphanage on Coruscant.” He explains quickly, tugging a few strands of Lara’s hair away from her face. “We’re keeping her. That’s not a request, Rey. This is our daughter now.” His voice oozes confidence, but his eyes betrays him. He’s afraid that she’ll say no. 

 

      Lara waves, breaking the tense mood. “Hi.” 

 

      Rey returns the wave. “Hello, sweetheart.” She says. He can see the small pools of tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “What’s your name?” 

 

      “Lara.” She replies. “You’re Rey?” 

 

      His Empress nods. “Yes, Starlight.” She replies with a wavering voice. The tears start falling at an alarming rate. “But you call me mama, okay?” 

 

      “Mama.” Lara says, leaning forward. Without really knowing how they got there, Ben’s holding them both. They’re a family, and thank the Force for Rey. She who’s accepted this little creature as her own daughter without question. There’s a loud shriek behind them, a woman calling out Finn’s name, and the man’s reply. Ben doesn’t care about that right now, though. 

 

      Right now the two girls in his arms is all he can see. This was the will of the Force the entire time, Ben’s sure of it. He finally has a family… 

 

 

**[END OF PART FOUR, ACT ONE]**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> __  
> **THOUGHT YOU SAID FOUR CHAPTERS, AND THAT’S IT!? And you’re several days late with posting!**  
>   
> 
> Yeah, well… I got caught up in the page count. It’s 46 pages long, you know! And life came at me with a lubed up broomstick.
> 
>  
> 
> __  
> **You should have capped it off at thirty!**  
>   
> 
> Yeah, but I didn’t want to leave it unfinished.
> 
>  
> 
> __  
> **So, what, there’s another chapter left?**  
>   
> 
> Oh yeah… there’s another one more to go.
> 
>  
> 
> __  
> ***Brain sighs* Alright, but I need a break after that. No more parts.**  
>   
> 
> ....
> 
>  
> 
> __  
> **You’re freaking kidding me, right? -.-’**  
>   
> 
> There might be an Epilogue! I haven’t decided yet.
> 
>  
> 
> __  
> ***Grumbles sternly* Elle…**  
>   
> 
> I will skewer you with a meat-hook if you don’t let me finish this story, brain.
> 
>  
> 
> __  
> ***Huge sigh* You know what? Fuck it. Go ahead.**  
>   
> 
> YAY!
> 
>  
> 
> __  
> **But you’re responsible for any of my injuries.**  
>   
> 
> Oh yah… I figured.

**Author's Note:**

> **Thank you all so much for reading/leaving a kudos/commenting. It means a lot to me and my self-esteem as a writer. Also feed me kudos, because they're like cupcakes and my inner bitch needs to be fed. ;D**


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